Lindsay Lohan -- I'm Not Getting Screwed ... By NYC Traffic

Lindsay Lohan is making a responsible, eerily adult-like decision about the next 2 weeks of her life -- which makes you think she just might have a shot at avoiding a jail sentence ... a small shot.

Lindsay is scheduled to start clicking off her court ordered community service this morning at a Brooklyn daycare center -- and sources connected to Linds tell us she plans to be there ... wait for it ... ON TIME.

We're told Lohan has decided to stay in a BK hotel near the daycare, so she won't get caught in any bridge or tunnel traffic from Manhattan ... where she would normally hang.

Our sources say LiLo's well aware every minute is gonna count -- she has 115 hours to get done in 16 days ... which breaks down to about 7.5 hours each day. Yes, she'll damn near be working a regular 9 to 5. Gotta be a first.

Of course, that's assuming she can work weekends, when the daycare is closed. We're told they're trying to set up work for her at other facilities.