With all eyes on 2030 and how to prepare for the boom of people and cars forecast in the years ahead, the City Council wants to take steps today to make sure New York won't be crippled by future traffic.During a hearing yesterday in City Hall, the Transportation Committee called on the city Department of Transportation to collect more comprehensive data to create a citywide plan.To that end, the committee is considering legislation to create more transparency and accountability in city transportation policies. A bill -- Intro. 199 -- would require DOT to set strict performance goals and provide regular progress reports to show the public the work being done to curb traffic and pollution, and get more New Yorkers to take mass transit into the city's most congested central business districts.DOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall testified that the aim of reducing congestion "is a goal that I think we all share." She called the legislation "redundant, since DOT is already collecting data on many facets of the city's transportation system."But the committee said the current data collected by DOT is too limited, because it focuses on activity, and not on impact and effectiveness.For instance, instead of black-and-white figures like the number of potholes filled, or traffic lights repaired, the city needs to focus on the gray areas, like which streets move people most effectively and which need improvement, or the reliability of travel times for various modes of transportation."The city simply can't reduce congestion without modern-day measuring and performance goals," said committee chairman Councilman John Liu (D-Queens). "The Department of Transportation needs to reform its goals if we are going to encourage more New Yorkers to get out of their cars and onto subways and buses."A recent report from the Partnership for New York City showed that Midtown Manhattan's choking traffic has taken a huge toll on the economy, as businesses suffer from higher transportation costs and lost productivity. But as part of the committee's initiative to increase the scope of transportation data citywide, advocacy groups like Transportation Alternatives want planners to look at business hubs that are taking off in other boroughs as well."We're really looking more long-term -- specifically, setting targets for moving people out of their cars and into transit and walking options," said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, a nonprofit group that advocates for public transit, pedestrians and bicyclists."It is crucial to the quality of life and the economy of NYC that we identify specific performance goals and start reducing congestion now," said Councilwoman Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan), who sponsored the bill.