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.

Are we reaching peak car consumption? (Globe and Mail, Canada)

Turns out we’re actually driving less, which is good news for the environment and, hopefully, for mass transit. Anyway, this story discusses not just that we are driving less but why. An excerpt: “Finding themselves caught in an uncomfortable tangle of urban sprawl, population growth and plain individual inconvenience, people, one by one, are just quietly opting out.” (Go Metro, please.)

Housing recovery favors cities and walkable neighborhoods (Natural Resources Defense Council Switchboard blog)

In the Washington D.C. area, at least, housing recovery is looking like it’s significantly influenced by convenience, according to research by the George Mason University Center for Regional Analysis. Strongest recoveries are in Washington’s central city and neighboring Arlington,VA, the region’s most urban jurisdictions, both filled with walkable neighborhoods.

L.A. County okays second phase of Newhall Ranch (Los Angeles Times)

The Board of Supervisors has approved the Newhall Ranch Mission Village segment, which will have 4,000 housing units, 580 acres of open space and three preserves. Environmentalists say the Santa Clarita Valley project will worsen traffic and pollution. Supporters say, “not true” and mention the magic word: jobs. Related: Source post on approval of first phase of the project.

More demand will equal higher prices at the pump (New America Foundation)

Projections by the U.S. Energy Information Administration suggest that the growing demand for energy worldwide will continue to push oil prices up in a slow but steady movement. And as consumer incomes — particularly those from middle and lower levels — continue to be absorbed by high fuel costs, gasoline will continue to be a drag on the economy.