Transportation headlines, Thursday, January 21

by Steve Hymon , January 21, 2010

What better way to spend a gloomy morning than contemplating federal transportation bills? The Hill takes a look at the progress — or lack thereof — of the next massive federal transportation bill. The last such bill, providing $286 billion in funding, was signed into law by President Bush in 2005. A version of the new bill that has been making the rounds in Congress ups the ante to $500 billion, with increased money for mass transit and high-speed rail.

Speaking of that bill, Transport Politic takes a dim view anything positive will happen. Yonah Freemark writes:

“This is the fundamental problem: neither party — even the supposed “tax and spend” one — is willing to take the steps necessary to raise revenues to sponsor increased funding for transit, even though the country is in desperate need of more investment.

One hard rule of yoga: if you breathe regularly and correctly it’s possible to stand in that impossible pose for eons, even as your hamstring is shearing in half. Over at the Huffington Post, psychotherapist Will Baum says focusing on breathing — and shutting off the radio — helps achieve the mindfulness needed to mentally conquer traffic. Hmm. I buy the breathing part. I don’t buy the turning off Bruce Springsteen part.

The rest of today’s headlines, gathered and scavenged by the Metro library, are after the jump.

Activists respond To DASH Cuts And Hikes: LADOT Schedules Public Hearings
LA StreetsBlog

America Comes Around To Roundabouts
Wired

Backing Up Twitter And Facebook Posts Challenges Governments
Government Technology

Financing Transportation In An Age Of Political Cowardice
Transport Politic

Food Carts Take The Curse Off Portland’s Parking Lots
New Urban News

LA Coping Kit: Mindful Driving
Huffington Post

LAX Expansion Foes Critical Of Proposed 405 Fwy / Arbor Vitae Interchange
Contra Costa Times

LOHA Big Blue Bus Stops On Their Way to Santa Monica Curbs
LA Curbed

Metro Rapid, Or What We Could’ve Had If Catoe Stayed (a look at L.A. Metro’s accomplishments from a D.C. perspective)
Greater Greater Washington

Metrolink Closes Crossing For Repairs Jan. 30-31
Santa Clarita Valley Signal

Metrolink Responds To Public Suggestions: Turnstyles, Food/Alcohol Trains, Staff Layoffs, And Advertising Billboards
TransitRiderOC