The debate over the transportation reauthorization bill brings to the forefront several important issues for the future of transportation, including the role of federal funding for public transit and the implications of changing transportation preferences. Cato Institute senior fellow Randal O’Toole will demonstrate how the “Great Streetcar Conspiracy” sheds light on faults in the New Starts and Small Starts funding process. Sam Staley of the DeVoe Moore Center at Florida State University will discuss market‐​oriented reforms of the transit industry, and author Alan Pisarski will look at whether there is a significant trend for young people to prefer public transit over driving.