• At the Detroit Auto Show, Transpo Sec. Ray LaHood said that Congress would decide whether to run another Cash for Clunkers program, which sold 800,000 cars in less than 30 days. “You see no criticism of Cash for Clunkers in America,” he said. (Motor Trend)
• As it turns out, those whole-body scanners–in direct contrast to what the TSA has said in the past–have the ability to store, record and transfer images. That they have USB integration and ethernet connectivity makes them vulnerable to tampering, and to possible invasions of privacy. (Computer World)
• And even if they were secure, lots of African countries don’t have the money to install whole-body scanners. A security analyst says it’s even hard for many nations to purchase luggage scanning equipment, which costs $1.2 million to purchase and an astonishing $1.4 million to install. (Tribune)
• In the Bay Area, fare increases, service cuts, and cheaper gas are weakening the incentives to take public transit. 66,000 passengers have ditched public transit in favor of cars in the past year. (Mercury News)
• Congestion pricing in New York could potentially raise $500 million a year, which could be used to offset MTA budget deficits that threaten to eliminate whole subway lines. That revenue might even allow for the growth of new transit lines and economic opportunities in underserved areas. (HuffPo)
• According to an international railway organization, rail travel is 3-10 times less CO2-intensive than road or air transport. But at the end of the day, people still care way more about getting around for less money than they do about carbon emissions. (CNN)
• And finally, there’s a “disturbing disconnect” between Dubai’s “architectural spectacle” and its “short-sighted development practices,” says the Tribune’s architecture critic. (Cityscapes)