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.

The Best CityReads of 2011 (The Atlantic Cities)

Looking to tuck in over the holidays with some long-form urban writing? Nate Berg breaks down his best reads from 2011. I’m particularly looking forward to a National Geographic piece that argues that “cities are the best cure for our planet’s growing pains.”

Human Transit: The Book! (Human Transit)

But the read I’m most excited for this winter is Jarrett Walker’s new book, Human Transit: How Clearer Thinking About Public Transit Can Enrich Our Communities and Our Lives. You can read the book’s introduction at the link above and find it for sale at Island Press‘ website. I know on good authority that Walker discusses L.A. transit in the book in a number of places. And you can see Walker discuss the book in Los Angeles at UCLA on January 19th — details here.

Riding high-speed rail to a U.S. recovery: John Rosenthal (Bloomberg)

A lot of criticism has been levied at California’s HSR proposal of late — some fair, some not — so I find this op-ed by John Rosenthal to be a helpful reminder that high-speed rail is a still a much-needed investment in mobility for many regions across the U.S. In particular, Rosenthal emphasizes the need to better connect city centers through transport that can be powered by renewable energy — a sustainable alternative to driving and flying.