Infrastructure investments in general, and transportation funding in particular, are increasingly seen as some of the most pressing policy issues affecting all levels of government in California today. The state has long been home to some of the fastest growing regions in the United States, and now is facing a near doubling of the population - from 34 million to 58 million - by 2040. In the face of such an overwhelming increase in the number of California residents, there has understandably been strong interest in exactly how the state can provide both the physical infrastructure and the social services to keep pace.

Indeed, there are some who claim that state and local governments, particularly in the area of transportation, have failed to provide adequate infrastructure even for the existing population. Many argue that this is evidenced by increasing traffic congestion on the state's highways, and that in order to solve the problem, the state must get back into the business of building highways, something that proponents claim California has not done since the massive freeway construction projects undertaken in the 1950s and '60s.

But as policy experts and lawmakers continue to entertain plans for transportation system improvements and new spending, there are many unanswered questions that must be addressed regarding exactly how California should best target any new investments.

• How has the state spent its money on transportation programs in the past and what's been the result?

• Are we investing public funds in such a way as to provide mobility and access to all Californians?

• How have our public transit systems fared; do they provide a critical service to the state's residents or have they failed and why?

• How do current growth and development patterns impact our transportation needs and vice versa?

• And will simply spending more money on transportation fix our current problems over the long term, or does the system by which transportation spending decisions are made need to be overhauled?

The intention of this report is to begin to answer some of these critical questions, clarify issues in the ongoing debate over transportation issues, and recommend a more comprehensive approach to the complex problems of traffic, mobility and growth.

We begin with a broad overview of the many transportation-related issues that the state faces today. Subsequent chapters are broken down by issue areas: traffic congestion, public transit, transportation spending, linking land use with transportation, and ,finally, the need for a new vision.

Despite the many complexities involved in the transportation debate, one thing is clear: without a more informed understanding of where we've been and where we're heading, California will be woefully unprepared to plan for its future.

Read the full report (PDF file requires Acrobat Reader)