A mobility vision for Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is the gridlock capital of the world. Angelenos spend more time in their cars than people in any other city. This is time that could be better spent with our families and friends. In addition, traffic costs businesses and the economy billions every year in lost time and productivity.

As Mayor, I have made solving the region's transportation challenge one of my top priorities. My approach to solving this problem is two-fold.

First, we must implement smaller traffic improvements immediately. These improvements, combined together, will have a significant impact on getting traffic moving again. Since taking office, I have banned rush hour construction on busy streets, and deployed traffic officers to key intersections during rush hour. I am also working on accelerating the synchronization of traffic signals throughout the city, creating longer left turn lanes to provide greater stacking of cars.

Second, we must be committed to making larger improvements to the region's transit and aviation system; improvements that connect people where they live to where they work and go to school. This includes having more projects planned and ready to go once funding is secured.

Every Angeleno should live within five minutes of public transit and be able to ride anywhere they want in the region. They should be able to ride on a first-class bus system--one that is safe, clean, and on time--or hop on a rail line. Our rail system needs to be expanded to meet more people's travel needs. This includes completing the Exposition light rail line to Santa Monica, the Gold Line extension to Montclair, extending the Red Line subway under Wilshire, and a Green Line connection to LAX. Service to the San Fernando Valley and Westside must also be improved.

Our streets and freeways need to be better maintained and updated to squeeze additional capacity. We must better accommodate the growing traffic on our highways, especially on freeways such as the 710 which is a key link from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to communities across the country.

And Los Angeles is simply too large of a city to have only one major airport. A regional aviation system that includes Palmdale and Ontario makes more sense for travelers.

In order to complete these projects, we must develop a cohesive and unified vision for transportation in our region and grow the funding pie in Sacramento and Washington to support these additions. That's why I will work with legislators in Washington D.C. and Sacramento to secure more transportation and homeland security funding for Los Angeles.

As Mayor of the City of Los Angeles and Chairman of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, I will use my experience as a coalition builder to bridge our differences and make this city proud of its transportation system once again. I need your help to accomplish this vision.