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.

Construction Authority to take hard look at construction firms (L.A. Times)

Two construction firms bidding to build the second phase of the Expo Line from Culver City to Santa Monica are going to be extensively reviewed by the Expo Line Construction Authority after revelations that both have faced problems on other projects. Skanska USA has had to deal with federal investigators in New York over the issue of hiring practices and URS received large fines for its work in Minnesota. Metro’s Inspector General will conduct the reviews.

Boxer says transpo bill is in the works (D.C. Streetsblog)

California Sen. Barbara Boxer said that she’s working with Sen. John Mica of Florida and Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma — Boxer is a Democrat, Mica and Ihofe are Republicans — on a new multiyear federal transportation bill. The bill is two years overdue and will be needed to enact parts of the 30/10 Initiative, the effort by Metro to use federal funds and other financing to speed up construction of Measure R projects. Those following the news already know that the Obama Administration is supportive of that effort, which would allow the Westside Subway Extension to reach Westwood in the early 2020s.

Hikers could soon help track climate change in the Santa Monica Mountains (KCET UpDaily)

The National Park Service is developing a mobile phone app that would allow hikers to take photos of plants along trail, thereby helping scientists see how those plants are doing across the different seasons — which is one way to study the effects of climate change. Attentive readers know that what comes out of a vehicle’s tailpipe has everything to do with global warming and that generally speaking trains and buses emit fewer greenhouse gases per passenger than do private vehicles.