Boston’s Metropolitan Area Planning Council unveils a new plan for smarter development. (Boston Globe) Gas prices reach an eight-month high. (USA Today) The Energy Information Administration projects a steep drop in oil output around the world. (Grist) Transportation and housing costs for families can’t be disentangled. (Arizona Daily Star)

A new deal between the state of Massachusetts and a transportation company will bring the state’s residents improved commuter-rail service and help reduce congestion in the region. (Providence Business News — Susan A. Baird)

With demand for Amtrak’s high-speed train between New York and Boston rising fast, the company may be looking to add new cars and raise fairs. (Bloomberg News)

Showing a new readiness to accommodate cyclists, officials in Boston — long dubbed one of the worst cities in the country for bikers — have installed the city’s first bike lanes and 250 new racks. (Boston Globe — Maddie Hanna)

Ty Burr of the Boston Globe starts biking to work for his 10-mile commute, and has plenty of advice for others looking to follow his lead.

High gas prices have reinforced a growing interest in smart growth and transit-oriented development around suburban Boston. (Metro West Daily News — David Riley)