DATA, DATA, DATA--WHERE'S THE DATA?

Transportation is changing throughout the nation. More people need to reach multiple destinations and achieve multiple objectives in one trip. Many of these trips cross jurisdictional and modal boundaries. In major urban areas, existing and new users are making increasingly complex trips that put higher demands on the transportation infrastructure and services. For example, travel to jobs, shopping, medical facilities, educational institutions, entertainment, and other neighborhoods requires seamless transitioning from one mode of travel to another. These demands require a major new transportation strategy that responds to the issues facing each state and the nation for the next 20 to 30 years and well into the new millennium. Transportation leaders understand that this new strategy must include all aspects of the nation’s vital infrastructure ─air, water, housing, education, and more. The strategy must include an intergovernmental approach for accommodating growth in already heavily populated urban areas. This would involve a partnership with private entities and officials who make land-use decisions. Finally, the strategy must address the needs of an aging but active population. Accurate, reliable, and readily available data is the essential tool for making this new transportation strategy a reality. Transportation professionals must find better ways to meet