If Washington’s Metro system is proof of anything, it is that American cities have the capability to build massive, expensive transit systems that work. Since the network opened in 1976, it has expanded to 106 miles of two-way track, five lines, and 86 stations.
The seemingly endless hunt for ways to improve our day-to-day commute has led to many interesting and unique ideas. While many are less than feasible, every now and again one comes along that just might be able to make a difference. The GPS based "Sartre" system may be able to join this elite league of automotive innovations.
First, the good news: technologically speaking, the Aha Mobile traffic app is at the front of the pack. It pairs the iPhone's built-in geolocation capabilities with data from INRIX, Yelp, SitOrSquat, and PhotoEnforced, making Aha your one-stop-shop for data on traffic, food, bathrooms, and speed cameras -- without having to deal with itty-bitty maps.
This time directusnav is bringing this rear view mirror equipped with a 4″ touch screen display that sits right next to you mirror. Best part about this is the wiring is supposed to stay behind the scenes so no dangling cables or window suction mounts to deal with. 
In the last few years, head-up displays (HUDs), which project information onto the driver's view of the road, have started appearing in a few high-end cars. But a more compact kind of projection device, small enough to fit inside a rearview mirror, could see this kind of display more widely deployed.
Ending months of discord between South Hampton Roads and the Peninsula, regional leaders on Friday agreed to push for bringing much-coveted high-speed trains to Southside Virginia.
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More at The Official Goggle Blog
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/announcing-google-maps-navigation-for.html
Like seemingly every other city in the country, Washington, DC is planning a streetcar network. Its transportation officials, however, seem uniquely positioned to actually construct their system; unlike other municipalities, Washington is installing tracks in the ground — albeit with no power source — and owns several streetcar vehicles — though they’re in storage in the Czech Republic.Tolls on new roads. Higher tolls on existing roads. Tolls on new lanes. Higher tolls in rush hour. Local governments even plan to study a radical proposal to charge a toll every time you drive your car, even on a quick trip to the grocery store using side streets. (A GPS or other device would be used to calculate your bill.)
More at the Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/24/AR2009102401891.html
