Here’s a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

Expo Line gets OK for street-level crossing next to Dorsey High (L.A. Times)

A hearing officer for the California Public Utilities Commission has tentatively approved plans for an Expo Line station at Farmdale Avenue as a solution to safety concerns from residents worried about the train endangering students at nearby Dorsey High School. The decision is not final, and must be put in front of the commission and the public – so it will be at least another month before the issue is settled. Opponents who want the train grade separated at Farmdale Avenue are unhappy with the news.

Minimizing car travel by changing how we think about development (SmartPlanet)

Recently there’s been a “study of studies” meant to consolidate the research on the built environment and travel. SmartPlanet interviews Reid Ewing, the study’s co-author, about what he’s discovered from the compilation of research. The most important thing, according to Ewing, is that mixed-use development concentrated in the metropolitan core is the best way to get people out of their cars.

Tell me again why we mandate parking at bars? (Grist)

I love when people ask simple questions that point out glaring hypocrisies. There’s few public health and safety issues as scorned as drunk driving – yet as Grist points out, American city zoning codes require automobile parking at bars. The author discovered that in Long Beach the municipal code requires bars have 20 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet. If drunk driving is illegal, then mandated parking at bars could be viewed as entrapment!