Los Angeles (KNX 1070 NEWSRADIO)  -- An L.A. City Council panel thinks it's time for less talk and more action, to deal with the growing traffic problems across Los Angeles.

The Council's Transportation Commission, chaired by Second District Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, is set to approve a "mission statement" today that lays out transportation goals for the city and ways to reach them. It will then be passed on to the entire Council, for action.

Greuel is posting a survey on her Council website, which can be accessed HERE, to take the pulse of the public on major transportation issues. Its results will be made available to other Council members, and used to help guide a consultant who will develop the final plan over the course of the next several months.

Greuel says that right now nobody really knows where the city is going in terms of transportation. She says a comprehensive policy is needed, with benchmarks so city officials can be held accountable for making improvements.

Greuel says it's important to get more people out of their cars, but no one really knows the best way to do that. And she says when the city goes to Sacramento or Washington for transportation money, they always ask how it's going to be spent.

Aides to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has made transit one of his top issues, say he fully supports Greuel's efforts.

The mission statement, developed by the city Department of Transportation, lays the foundation for future studies to fill in the details over the next 18 months about how people can get around the city more quickly and in a more environmentally friendly way.

It sets six main goals. They are to reduce emissions, protect neighborhoods, increase mobility and accessibility, ensure safety, promote the city as a center for international trade, and develop a stable funding source.

Transportation planners believe the shift will demand a number of changes by commuters and local businesses.