Joel Epstein at the Huffington Post says that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s plan to build 30 years of Measure R projects in the next 10 years is a fine idea — but a number of funding reforms will be needed to make it happen. I, too, think it’s a good idea but I also wonder if it’s politically possible to extract billions of dollars from Washington for transit projects without politicians from other metro regions and states saying “where’s mine?”

The Wall Street Journal reports that money from last year’s giant federal stimulus bill is shifting gears. More funds will now be shifted into infrastructure projects, although it will still take time to get those built. The story quotes some experts that believe the projects won’t do much to help unemployment.

Part of a new budget proposal that has burped out of the State Senate involves allowing local officials from SCAG or local governments to increase transit fees in order to build and maintain transit. That, of course, used to the be the state’s job. The Riverside Press-Enterprise reports that local officials aren’t wild about the idea because of the risk involved.

The rest of today’s transportation headlines, compiled by the Metro library, are after the jump.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Promotes HSR – Will His Successors Do The Same?
California High Speed Rail Blog

Bulk Of Stimulus Spending Yet To Come: Most Cash So Far Has Gone To Services, Government Jobs; Infrastructure Surge Unlikely To Put Big Dent In Unemployment
Wall Street Journal

Does The Road To Bike Equality Run Through The Courts?
Biking In LA

Freight Rail, Streetcars Are Tops In Stimulus’ TIGER Chase
LA StreetsBlog

Frequency And Freedom On Driverless Rapid Transit
Human Transit

Gold Line Tour Unveils East L.A. Treasures (Part 2 of tour)
ABC-7

Gov. Hopes Future Carpool Lane On 405 Eases Traffic (and hopes for more, such as double-decking one day)
Los Angeles Daily News

High Speed Trains In US To Be Slower Than Those In Europe, Asia
Trains For America

How Do I Become A Transit Planner?
Human Transit

How Many Potholes Can You Fill With No Budget?
LAist

Kid Busted By The Food Cops (14-year-old cited for unlawfully eating Cheetos on Big Blue Bus)
Santa Monica Daily Press

Local Officials Balk at State Granting Them Power To Enact Transit Fee
Riverside Press-Enterprise

Los Angeles Joins [San Fernando] Council Of Governments
San Fernando Valley Business Journal

Mayor’s 30/10 Plan For Measure R Transit Projects Explained
LA StreetsBlog

Moving LA: There’s A Train A Comin’
Huffington Post

Moving Through The Recession, Part 1: Trends In Transit Ridership
The City Fix

Rail And Transit Benefit, Highways Lose Out In TIGER Grant Distribution
Transport Politic

Rail Expert Reutter: White House Misfired On High-Speed Rail Stimulus
DC StreetsBlog

Railroad Yards Still Help Propel Local Economies
Redlands Daily Facts

Road And Transit Groups Join Boxer To Push For Senate Jobs Bill
LA StreetsBlog

Simplifying The Open Transit Data Debate: A Comprehensive Guide To Providing Real-Time Information To Your Passengers
Fleet Beat
Printer-Friendly version (6p. PDF)

T4 Jobs Proposal Would Create Nearly Half A Million Jobs, According To Economic Policy Institute
Transportation For America

Proposed Funding For Transportation Infrastructure Within Senate Jobs Bill ($35.4 Billion)
Transportation For America

The TIGER Grants: Which States Were The Big Winners?
Infrastructurist

Urban Form, Behavior Energy Modeling In China: Sim City For Real? (The US Department of Energy has created a software tool not unlike Sim City that can project scenarios for an actual population’s energy, transportation and fuel needs. The software made its debut recently modeling a development in Jinan, China)
Common Current

Who Lost Out In The Bid For A Piece Of TIGER Transportation Stimulus
DC StreetsBlog

Wishing Green To Succeed – In A Future That’s Red (the federal government’s sustainable urbanism challenge)
Citiwire