Listen to the radio before you leave your driveway. Tune into a local station that gives regular reports on traffic and road closures. If there are any major construction projects that will delay your trip, a local traffic report will let you know before you find yourself stuck in traffic.
Watch the news before you leave. Like radio stations, local news stations -- specifically, the morning news programs -- do regular reports on traffic. Watch the news in the morning before you leave so that you know what roads are being worked on, and what routes have the lightest traffic.
Visit your city's official website and look for a section called "Road Work and Street Closures." Large cities will list any major construction projects that result in road closures or traffic delays. You can locate this section within the "Transportation" section of the website.
Call a colleague or friend who takes the same route that you do, but at an earlier time. Ask her if her commute was delayed by construction or road closures.
