The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is experimenting with a GPS-based system that will give riders real-time information about their trains. Digital signs installed at stations will provide customers with accurate arrival estimates and will explain the nature and cause of delays. Officials expect that the new system will help managers to track problems and target bottlenecks to improve performance.

At a pilot preparatory school run by the U.S. Army at Fort Jackson—near Columbia, South Carolina—high school dropouts are getting a free education toward earning their GED in exchange for service. Once a student receives their GED, they become eligible for active duty. Officials hope the program will help ensure that enlistment numbers remain steady. Critics contend that the program lures low-income citizens into combat with the promise of a free education. Supporters counter that not every student fits this profile, and that the armed services provides good pay, benefits, and other opportunities that might be difficult to find in the civilian world. Since its inception last August, the school has helped more than 1,000 recruits earn their GED.

The US Conference of Mayors recently celebrated a major milestone: 900 mayors have now signed on to the Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement. The agreement, based on the Kyoto Protocol, requires the cities to reduce their carbon emissions to 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2012. In addition, many of these cities have adopted their own comprehensive climate plans. This milestone highlights the increasing prominence that cities and towns have in slowing climate change. While cities cover less than one percent of the earth's surface, they are home to half its population and produce 80 percent of its greenhouse gasses. Together, the 900 mayors represent 80 million Americans.

In order to foster communication between the police and the public, a sergeant in the Boston Police Department has been experimenting with Twitter, the increasingly popular micro-blogging tool. The tool could be a particularly useful way for an officer to broadcast real-time incident information to the department's Twitter followers. For example, an officer could send out a "tweet" citing the location of an accident and a suggested detour. Similarly, another officer or a member of the public could respond that the detour is also congested and recommend another alternate route.

Many cities are loosening traditional restrictions on small backyard chicken flocks. Citizens looking for sustainable alternatives to mass-produced food, or who are concerned about food safety, are taking how-to classes on raising chickens for eggs. While cities and chicken owners are still grappling with how to deal with predators and chickens who have grown too old to produce eggs, over a 100 cities—from New York to Miami—have embraced the concept.

Online deputies can virtually patrol the US-Mexico border thanks to a Website run by the Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition and funded by a $2 million grant from the state of Texas. Presently, a small network of cameras survey the border, and registered users can send e-mails to law enforcement if they think they see something suspicious. The controversial program, which seeks to crowdsource some of the responsibility for the border's security, has been accused of encouraging vigilantism or pandering to anti-immigrant sentiments. Since its launch in November, however, four arrests have been attributed to these unpaid deputies.

School systems across the country are encouraging students to take part in developing healthier food options for their cafeteria menu. In Ohio, teen chefs were offered college scholarships for winning recipes. Baltimore schools have promoted contests that encourage students to use family recipes or locally grown ingredients while keeping within certain calorie and cost limits. Others have promoted taste tests of "healthy food items." Student input and engagement has benefitted both school officials and the students.

Public safety agencies are starting to migrate to next-generation 911 (NG911) systems to keep pace with advances in communication technology and citizen demands. Charlotte County, Florida, has upgraded to an NG911 system while solving funding challenges and addressing policy issues that face many localities considering the switch to NG911.

Willing inmates at the Baltimore City Detention Center receive 25 acupuncture sessions to combat their drug addictions. Many inmates vouch for the efficacy of the ancient Chinese therapy, endorsed by the judge who presides over the city's drug court. It is thought that acupuncture releases natural chemicals in the body that ease withdrawal and help patients overcome their cravings. The therapy, administered by the city drug court, is part of a larger substance abuse program that includes counseling, education and training, and family mediation.

Despite the economic downturn, an increasing number of municipalities across the nation are offering financing to homeowners to install solar panels. In California, these loans are paid back with interest as part of property taxes. Municipal financing ensures that any local homeowner, credit-worthy or not, is eligible for these funds. And, the obligation to repay the loan attaches to the house and would pass to any future buyer. In addition, the economic stimulus bill recently passed by Congress extends a federal income tax credit for 30 percent of the cost of installing solar panels to participants in the municipal loan programs. Critics argue that these programs are diverting resources from energy efficiency programs.

The White House has broken ground on an organic "kitchen garden." It is the White House's first working garden since World War II. The First Family is hoping to set a positive example about the importance of eating fresh produce, highlight the national obesity epidemic, and demonstrate that knowing where your food comes from is a vital part of making healthy dietary choices. The garden will include staples such as lettuce, spinach, broccoli, carrots and peas. It will also include herbs such as sage, oregano, and rosemary.