Today the L.A. Times features an editorial with some novel ideas on how to make L.A. a more bike friendly city. Inspired by Copenhagen’s impressive bicycle usage numbers – 36% of residents commute by bike – the author recommends Angelenos rethink their views on getting around (“streets are not exclusively for cars”) and imagines that closing off certain neighborhood streets to vehicles on weekends would be a good start.

Slate has a fascinating story on the rise of drive-thru culture in America and wonders if it has a future in these greener times. After being car-free for almost five years it’s become hard for me to recall how essential drive-thrus are to the motoring experience. Somehow I’ve survived without them, but can America?

In Washington politicians and lobbyists are fighting to enact legislation requiring transit agencies to allow wireless companies to build cellular networks in the subway systems.  Washington, San Francisco, and New York all have cell phone coverage in some of their busiest stations. Currently Los Angeles subway riders have no wireless service in stations and trains. Proponents of the plan say this is not just inconvenient, it’s safety hazard.

The rest of today’s headlines, compiled by the Metro Library, after the jump.
The 9th Annual Year In Ideas: Bicycle Highways
New York Times Magazine

Airport Breaks Ground On New Parking Garage
Long Beach Press-Telegram

BART Board OKs Peoplemover To Oakland Airport
San Francisco Chronicle

Bus Vs. Rail: An Oversimplified Comparison
Human Transit
Express Bus Vs. Rail Transit: How A Marriage Of Mode And Mission Affects Transit Performance
Transportation Research Record

City Council Has An Opinion On The 710 Extension
LA Curbed

Expo Line Authority Says They Are Not Over Budget
LAist

L.A.’s Metro Takes Aim At Cheaters
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

Lawmakers Want To Expand Cell Usage (U.S. subway systems without cell service considered a public safety hazard during an emergency)
The Hill

Metrolink Board Decides To Delay Fare Hikes, Route Cuts
Los Angeles Times

Metrolink’s Chief Executive Takes A Demotion: David R. Solow, Head Of The Regional Commuter Rail Service For More Than A Decade, Will Become An Advisor For Implementig A New Train Safety System – Eric Haley Will Become Interim Chief
Los Angeles Times

New Metro Line Makes Van Nuys Convenient
Los Angeles Daily News

New MTA Blogger Talks Transit From Both Sides Of The Tracks
USC Annenberg Neon Tommy

NYC Cyclists Bike Into Buildings (new city law allows cyclists to bring bicycles into office buildings to encourage alternative transportation)
American Public Media Marketplace

Opinion: Shifting Gears In L.A.: Many Cities Around The World, Including Some In The U.S., Are Putting The Focus On Bicycles For Short Trips, And They’re Making It Happen – Shouldn’t Los Angeles Go With The Flow?
Los Angeles Times

Pew: “Self-Sustaining” Highways Are Increasingly Subsidized
Transportation For America

Plans To Overhaul Accident Prone Rail Crossing In Industry Encounters Problems
San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Rise In Sea Levels Threatens California’s Ports
Los Angeles Times

We’re Thru: Has The American Romance With The Drive-Through Gone Sour?
Slate

Will Black Contractors Participate In Crenshaw Light Rail Project?
Los Angeles Sentinel