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

Connections vs complexity (Human Transit)

Jarrett Walker at Human Transit believes that a simple, easy-to-understand bus system that relies on transfers (or as Jarret prefers to call them, “connections”) rather than point-to-point service is best for encouraging what he calls “urban life.” He uses Los Angeles as an example of a system that relies on connections – a look at the Metro map shows buses neatly arranged on the street grid, unlike the bus system in Sydney, Australia which is a zig zag of various lines. The question is, does Metro’s transfer based bus system make it easier to use? See our interview with Jarrett today on The Source.

The cold and the dark (KCET)

Despite the ominous headline, this story is a look at an upbeat man, Metro’s CEO Art Leahy – “the Captain Kangaroo of public transit.” While Leahy’s enthusiasm is contagious, the article notes the many challenges L.A. faces when it comes to getting people out of their cars and onto transit. The author notes his nearest transit stop is a mile walk away, and at night, waiting for a bus can be a very cold and dark experience. No word on where he lives.

Downtown Drops the Ball on Transit Stop (L.A. Downtown News)

The Metro board voted against a new $185 million station for the Regional Connector at Fifth and Flower streets in downtown L.A., something the L.A. Downtown News thinks was a poor decision. What’s more disappointing to the newspaper is how Downtown’s many stakeholders – including many of the owners and occupants of those tall skyscrapers near the proposed station – failed to advocate for the stop. The Metro board left the option on the table for the local business community to raise $2 million to fund a study for the station, but the Downtown News says that decision is “a non-starter.”