Money can't buy you happiness, but luckily it pays for most everything else. Including things that can make you happier.
Get a really small efficient used convertible and/or a motorcycle and pretend you're riding a bike.
My commute by car time drops in half by flexing my schedule to avoid the rush. But I'm not sure that will work, since most populated places in CA have 12-18 hour rush hours by our standards. Work from home helps when possible.
I once worked on a project that required 60 miles of driving one way. It was out in the middle of nowhere so it only took a little over an hour. The time and distance wasn't as frustrating as the 5 miles of lights getting to the highway so there's a commute and then there's a painful commute. Books on tape and good music make it easier. Luckily for me, my commute distance continues to go down while the salary increases.