Intelligent transportation , mass transit , bicycling , and telecommuting are but a few of the new directions many people are taking to meet their transportation needs. Additionally, TEA-21 provides greatly increased funding for things such as the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program, highway and transit enhancements, and fostering the use of alternative modes of transportation such as bicycles. This center is dedicated to addressing transportation problems in Southern California. In the time since I began working on water policy as a Senate aide in the 1960s, our nation has made enormous progress in addressing this important issue. As a member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment , I have sought to address the critical water needs that play such an important role in California.
Water plays a critical, but often ignored, role in our daily lives.
Except for times of extreme drought, we tend to forget how precarious our situation is in Southern California. The effort to supply steady supplies of water for drinking and irrigation to our region is truly a modern wonder of the world. However, the massive system of aqueducts and reservoirs is struggling to keep up with ever-growing demands. Water conservation, recycling, and ground water recharge are helping, but we face tough decisions in the future if we expect to maintain our current water use patterns. One of the important ways we can ensure access to adequate water resources in the future is to protect what we have today.