What have we learned from the past 35 years? How can we use our experience to improve the decision and policy making process as we embark on the next major era in transportation in the U.S.? First and foremost, we need to re-consider how we envision the role of transportation in our society.While historically transportation has been defined as the safe and efficient movement of people and goods, in our society, it is far more than that.e have an unprecedented opportunity to take stock and seriously consider the role of transportation in our society. The transportation policies we are formulating today will have widespread ramifications, both for ourselves and for the next generation.