Today’s Headlines

(ed. note. Sorry for the late posting — had some technical difficulties at Streetsblog Capitol Hill HQ.)

• Transportation security is taking center after the attempted terrorist incident on Christmas Day, but the president’s nominee to lead the TSA is being held up by a GOP senator (WaPo)
• Amtrak eyes faster trains as a top priority as it takes in a healthy round of funding from Congress (NYT)
• A look at North Carolina’s case for federal high-speed rail aid (Citizen-Times)
• Texas gubernatorial hopeful and current senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) to unveil her transportation plan today … (Morn News)
• … as one top state official suggests that Texas drivers should pay more to register their big pickup trucks (AP)
• Chicago gives a New Year’s gift to transit riders: Rides for a penny (AP)
• The top 10 transportation stories of 2009 in the Washington D.C. area … (WaPo Blogs)
• … and Maryland’s top 10 transport stories of the decade (Balt Sun)