The Monday News Roundup

Here’s the news that caught our eye this week:

– Michelle Obama has taken on the issue of childhood obesity, and her task force has called for major transportation reforms, particularly complete streets.

– This meditation on the connection between the BP oil spill and personal driving habits has been making the rounds.

– The Senate climate bill could include $6 billion dollars for transportation, split between the highway trust fund, TIGER grants, and land use planning.

– Transportation has become an issue in Oregon’s gubernatorial race; Republican candidate Allen Alley says the region should stop its process to expand light rail to Milwaukie and focus on the road system and electric cars instead.

– Some musings (and lots of numbers) on the relationship between the bike industry, marketing, advocacy, and ridership. The conclusion: forget infrastructure and focus on rider recruitment.

– In Seattle, the mayor is reaching out to bicycle advocates to help him block a waterfront freeway tunnel project.

– BP, currently struggling to clean up the Gulf of Mexico and their company image, was one of the major forces blocking a Washington State bill that would have taxed oil production to clean up Puget Sound.

– An example from Ahmedabad, India shows that when you build your bus system right, people actually want to ride it.

– New Delhi, India, is also setting new standards with its new, super efficient subway system.

– Japan is looking to export its science fiction mag lev high speed train technology.

– Transportation reform in Mecca has its own special challenges.

– In Beirut, a real estate company and the local bike club have opened what this article calls a bike lane downtown, though it is only open on Sundays and sounds like it might be more like a ciclovia.

– In the Mosel wine growing region of Germany, plans for a mega freeway bridge are creating controversy.

– Cambridge, Massachusetts is building a cycle track, and Boston may soon follow suit.

– A new chart correlating the amount of U.S. driving with gas prices shows how both have been decreasing for the first time.

– In a fascinating little chart of transportation efficiency, including animal as well as human modes, the bicycle comes out looking good.

– Meanwhile, the great bicycle helmet debate continues…

– And finally…you know you never saw this coming…Mormons on fixies.