NATIONAL NEWS

Reuters: Congress looks at making cities more "livable"
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6585DR20100609?type=domesticNews
The Senate moved closer on Wednesday to making the concept of "livable communities" a part of national law that would provide federal grants to help local governments implement comprehensive city planning.

STATE NEWS

AP: New wave of US cities look at bike-sharing plans
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hNf2Pv3JPRgKnvcgJEXPHLMmC-0QD9G8E3580
The new message to commuters in Minneapolis: Hit a bicycle pedal instead of a gas pedal. Minneapolis is joining Denver in a new wave of cities in car-crazy America trying to cut down on obesity, traffic jams and air pollution with bike-sharing programs. It was debuting Nice Ride Minnesota on Thursday with 700 bicycles and 65 kiosks where riders can swipe a keycard, pick up a bike and go — making it one of the largest urban bike-sharing programs in the U.S. But it soon could be eclipsed by others elsewhere. Washington, D.C., plans to expand to Arlington, Va., this fall with about nine times as many bicycles as the 120 it started with. Nearly a dozen other U.S. cities, including Boston, New York and Chicago, are exploring or kicking off such programs. Denver launched its on Earth Day with 500 bikes and 50 stations.

Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Arkansas' Road Decay Cited in Death Rate
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2010/jun/09/states-road-decay-cited-death-rate-20100609
One-third of Arkansas roadways are deteriorating and are partially to blame for the state having one of the highest fatality rates in the country, according to a report released Tuesday by a Washington, D.C.-based transportation organization that lobbies for highway funding.

Knoxville News Sentinel: Editorial: Railroad renaissance a plus for Tennessee
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/jun/09/editorial-railroad-renaissance-plus-tennessee/
...And we urge state and federal officials to move forward with high-speed rail in general and in particular an Atlanta-Chicago corridor. We’ve allowed the third leg of our transportation system to wither long enough.