Globalization has forever changed the way we grow, communicate, and learn. Globalization has also unleashed new challenges and opportunities that fundamentally affect our economic prosperity and the way government, together with its stakeholders, makes judgments and decisions about the future. This new world of change demands new ways of thinking about transportation, including thinking about new tools, new alliances, and a new architecture. Our vision of a transportation system of the future is a seamless, integrated network of roads, rail lines, ports, and aviation corridors. Transportation systems must be maintained that facilitate global trade, serve the urban infrastructure, and deal with human needs. A collective visionary and vigilant leadership will be required of all stakeholders to continue our pursuit of transportation excellence and innovation. Transportation is about more than concrete, asphalt, and steel -- it is about people, and making sure that no one is left behind. Transportation projects should be designed with a view toward making our communities more livable, giving our citizens greater choice and mobility, and helping create a truly global community. This issue of Economic Perspectives addresses some of the key transportation issues that affect our global economy. Authors discuss issues such as financing infrastructure investment, the benefits of opening aviation markets, safety and security, and the impact of electronic-commerce on our transportation system. These articles are designed to stimulate further discussion on ways to enhance our transportation systems and will serve to focus our efforts for identifying and implementing effective mechanisms of information exchange while promoting development of the international transportation system for meeting the needs of the 21st Century. The Department of Transportation welcomes your ideas and comments on the issues presented in these scholarly articles. I invite each of you to join the Department in designing a new international transportation network that will lead to an ever more prosperous future for all nations. -- Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater