The Evening Dig: Perfect Parking Edition

• British mathematicians have come up with a formula that, in theory, will help motorists parallel park perfectly. This raises the issue of whether people who can’t park cars should be allowed to drive. (Telegraph - pic via, from SOLENT)

• Congress will vote this week on a jobs bill that includes $27.5 billion for highways and $8.4 billion for transit. Amtrak will reap $800 mil., and the Army Corps of Engineers, $11 billion. (Finance & Commerce)

• HSR funding will be allocated in January, says Ray LaHood. Other Transpo projects include: funding a NextGen air traffic control system; figuring out whether to use a per-mile-based tax system for cars instead of a gas tax; and launching a PR campaign against distracted driving. (Popular Mechanics)

• Detroit’s Free Press published today the fourth of an eight-part epic presentation on the near-collapse and unsteady revival of Detroit’s auto industry. (FreeP)

• An editorial hates on the Western HSR Alliance, saying it flubbed its facts in its inaugural presentation and that the proposal is not at all economically viable. (Denver Post)

• Governor Crist signed Florida’s big high-speed and commuter rail package into law today. An investigation continues regarding his Transpo Secretary’s use of “Pancakes” and “French Toast” as possible code words in emails discussing the bill. (Tallahassee)

• 18 years after it was shut down, a rail link between Belgrade and Sarajevo has been reopened. The once-glamorous ride uses some grungy trains, but locals are proud to have it up and running. (SETimes)