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Jobs for construction, high-tech companies and consumer electronics are all . Though it’s great to know work is out there, traffic can be aggravating in this city during the building seasons.

CommutePays may be a happy answer for this. This free mobile app, which launched in January, is gaining a lot of ground, and it benefits users by tracking traffic data along specified routes. Smartphones provide timely updates on specific routes and identify potential delays before the user hits the road.

In addition to making the drive easier to work, home, school, yoga, coffee or wherever else in Portland, users earn virtual currency called CommuterCash. The accomplishment-based system rewards users with local deals, offers, and promotions along their route on everything from cups of coffee to techie gear to automotive services.

Contractors have a unique connection here, because they can easily update traffic info on the app. If they are going to cause road closures or delays, they can enter it via the app — not to mention using it to avoid getting caught in traffic on their way to a job site. Local contractors and business partners are encouraged to update traffic info, and they accrue CommuterCash as they use the app, just as with all users.

The CommutePays app is a free download in the App Store (iPhone) and in Android Market. Learn more about the commute-killing, virtual-cash-earning app at the or by downloading the app.

Image courtesy of Mark Peden, CommutePays CDO