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.

Childhood obesity and transportation policy (Welcome to the Fast Lane)

On his blog, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says that his agency is implementing and encouraging more policies to increase walking, cycling and taking transit — which in turn would increase exercise. One example: he says DOT has grants for more urban circulators that will make it easier for car-free households to reach real groceries instead of buying junk food at convenience stores. For what it’s worth, if your kid needs to lose a few, I recommend signing him or her up for the exciting sport of youth ice hockey. The kids at my local rink are skinny and fit.

Videos that may make you miss a certain oil big-wig (Grist)

With progress seemingly being made to stem the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, Grist rounds up a dozen videos that satirize the goings-on down there in recent months. This is a good time-waster for a lazy Friday at work (not my work–yours!).

About those chic commuting bikes… (Wall Street Journal)

The reporter takes a look at the fancy and fashionable commuting bikes that are in vogue these days and discovers one little issue: those big seats, chain guards, baskets and other accouterments add a lot of weight to the bike, making it a total slog to bike uphill. Her attempt at bike commuting ends with a “rescue me” call to the hubby.

Readers share their ideas on improving transportation (Slate)

Slate asked readers to submit their ideas to improve transportation and received no shortage of ideas. Excerpt:

If one had to try to sum up the submissions as a whole, I would say the emphasis was on making city transport smarter—with more optimal routing and matching of supply and demand; more real-time knowledge of departures and arrivals and travel times and congestion; more dynamic, market-based pricing; funding that more accurately matches use; forging better connections between development and transportation; making better use of existing road space; and, in essence, bringing some of the lessons and technologies of our electronic networks to our human transport networks.