The Washington Post editorial board argues that the next administration must think deeply about the transportation challenges facing the nation and come up with new and sustainable methods for funding infrastructure.

Maryland PIRG policy associate Kristi Hovarth points to the numerous flaws behind our outdated federal transportation policy — and offers a multitude of suggestions for fixing it.  (Baltimore Sun)

Federal money dedicated to transportation is quickly drying up, and states are facing tough choices on which projects they should focus their resources on — and which ones they should drop. (New York Times — David Stout and Matthew Wald, and Washington Post — Eric Weiss)

Pennsylvania’s government is considering leasing the state’s main turnpike to a group of investors for $12.8 billion in a deal that could set a new bar for public-private partnerships. (Wall Street Journal — Craig Karmin)

An assistant professor from Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability argues that highway-centric development in the region is unsustainable, and presses for denser development as well as more local and regional control over the planning process. (Arizona Republic — Aaron Golub)

A new study from the University of Cincinnati says that more than 30 percent of public schools are within a quarter mile of a major highway, placing them in the “air pollution danger zone” that puts students at risk for respiratory diseases.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 41,059 people died on highways in the U.S. in 2007, more than 1,000 fewer than the previous year. (Associated Press — Ken Thomas)

Distancing itself from a longstanding policy of favoring highway projects over transit, Maryland’s state government responds to pleas from activists and directs $340 million over 20 years towards public transportation. (Baltimore Sun — Michael Dresser)

Slate‘s Daniel Gross notes that while anti-transit advocates habitually decry government funding of public transportation, they gloss over the billions in subsidies provided for highways.

If anyone has any doubts as to whether federal transportation funds are skewed towards highways over public transportation, perhaps this chart can clear things up. (Streetsblog — Aaron Naperstek)