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The Overhead Wire

@theoverheadwire.com
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Jeff Wood is the host of the Talking Headways podcast and the publisher of The Overhead Wire daily newsletter. theoverheadwire.com Sign up for our 20 year old daily newsletter here: mailchi.mp/theoverheadwire/trial

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 3h
A global repeating story... Translated: Every few months, Lars Klingbeil finds billions to subsidize petrol and diesel for high-mileage drivers. Yet he allows the price of the #Deutschlandticket to rise unchecked year after year. Why isn't the SPD interested in its 14.5 million users?
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Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 4h
Frustrated with the slow progress on CAHSR? Apparently the California legislature isn't, given all bills to speed up progress died this year. Why isn't California's signature infrastructure project a priority? calmatters.org/politics/202...
calmatters.org
California’s high-speed rail authority made a legislative wishlist. It mostly stalled out
California’s bullet train agency said timely construction of the rail line depended on these reforms. They mostly failed.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 3h
It's insane how much money people will spend to still not realize that auto dependence is extraction.
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 4h
The average driver is now spending $65 more on gas monthly than they did last year.
urban.org
Rising Gas Prices Are Punishing Household Finances. Policymakers Should Invest in Transit to Reduce Household Costs.
Amid months of rising gas prices, a typical driver now spends $65 more on fuel each month today than they did a year ago.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 3h
As the French might call it, a "beet field" station. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TGV_Hau...
en.wikipedia.org
TGV Haute-Picardie station - Wikipedia
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JarekFA @jarekfa.bsky.social · 22h
Mr. Scarlett Johansson (Colin Jost) spotted riding an e-Citibike on the Hudson River Greenway this evening.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 22h
Tuesday's Most Read # 1 - Brightline shows people want more trains. But who will pay for them? link.theoverheadwire.com/bmt8n Grist @grist.org
link.theoverheadwire.com
Brightline shows people want more trains. But who will pay for them?
Its trains are attracting more riders, but billions in debt and the cost of expansion show why passenger rail still needs taxpayer support.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 23h
Tuesday's Most Read # 2 - In Philadelphia, a series of green corridor projects will promote walkability and connection link.theoverheadwire.com/gf3ed Architect's Newspaper
link.theoverheadwire.com
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 23h
Tuesday's Most Read # 3 - Zurich steps up efforts to replace asphalt with trees link.theoverheadwire.com/henam Swissinfo.ch
link.theoverheadwire.com
Zurich steps up efforts to replace asphalt with trees
Zurich has completed a third of its greening target in the first year of a local environmental initiative, while also recording early success in dedicating more road space to pedestrians, cyclists and...
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 29/09/2026
This feels big. Maybe bigger than the other one for reasons I can't quite put my finger on.
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Max Dubler 🏳️‍🌈 @maxdubler.com · 29/09/2026
Some professional news: @gavinnewsom.bsky.social just signed all 3 of the bills I worked on this year at @cayimby.bsky.social: AB 956 - 2 detached ADUs at single family homes SB 1116 - Starter Home Revitalization Act expansion SB 1117 - Fee relief for ADUs over 750 square feet
gov.ca.gov
Governor Newsom signs housing legislation, cementing California’s record progress to reduce unsheltered homelessness and build more homes | Governor of California
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Streets For All @streetsforall.org · 29/09/2026
AB 1976 is signed! California cities can now build the safe streets projects they've already approved, while keeping community input where it matters most.
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A. Zivarts @nondriver.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
What would your life be like if you couldn't drive? This week is #WeekWithoutDriving which is all about understanding what it's like to be a nondriver. @devinsilvernail.bsky.social & I launched @nondriverpodcast.bsky.social to share these stories. Search for 'nondriver' wherever you watch/listen
youtube.com
nondriver
30% of people in the US & Canada can't or don't drive. nondriver is a podcast about the lives and stories of those people, hosted by Anna Zivarts and Devin Silvernail. Every episode, we talk to peopl...
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 29/09/2026
Monday's Most Read # 1 - The future of US transportation policy demands new ways to pursue long-standing goals link.theoverheadwire.com/xu6gn Brookings @brookings.edu
link.theoverheadwire.com
The future of US transportation policy demands new ways to pursue long-standing goals | Brookings
America’s transportation system faces persistent challenges in safety, affordability, accessibility, and resilience. A new Brookings project examines how states, regions, and localities can work toget...
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 29/09/2026
Monday's Most Read # 2 - Eviction of 87-year-old puts Spain’s deepening housing crisis in the spotlight link.theoverheadwire.com/t4v3y The Guardian @theguardian.com
link.theoverheadwire.com
Eviction of 87-year-old puts Spain’s deepening housing crisis in the spotlight
Images of Maricarmen Abascal being forcibly removed from her home sparked protests and a reckoning over the country’s soaring real estate market
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 29/09/2026
Monday's Most Read # 3 - the flâneur and the birth of the modern urban spectator link.theoverheadwire.com/xev63 designboom @designboommagazine.bsky.social
link.theoverheadwire.com
the flâneur and the birth of the modern urban spectator
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 28/09/2026
You can demolish a rapid transit branch with just a day’s notice, but it takes 20 years to build a new one, if you’re lucky
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Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Excellent news. Glad to see what so many of us predicted borne out by actual data. (Yes, this is a "we told you so" post. Hopefully one day people will stop listening to the cranks who think the world will end if we even slightly reduce the amount of cars in the city.)
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 28/09/2026
China opens four new high speed rail lines and adds 1,100 more km on it's way to 60,000 - link.theoverheadwire.com/4t86p
link.theoverheadwire.com
Four new rail lines extend China's high-speed service
China will open four high-speed rail lines with a combined length of more than 1,100 kilometers on Monday, extending high-speed rail services to smaller cities and counties and creating faster routes ...
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 28/09/2026
Land next to a BART station in Concord has been argued about for years. The reality will soon come to fruition, but at just 5 units per gross acre. 12K housing units is not nothing, but it's so weak on 2.4k acres of land as to enshrine driving for those that live there www.sfgate.com/news/bayarea...
sfgate.com
Concord: Naval Weapons Station Redevelopment Plans Move Forward With Navy's Approval Of Term Sheet
Plans to redevelop an abandoned naval weapons station in Concord moved forward this week when the U.S. Navy approved a financial agreement reached with the city earlier this year.
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Payton Chung @westnorth.com · 28/09/2026
It's extended metaphor time! Imagine if the only restaurants you could choose from were all you can eat buffets - or fancy tapas bars. That would be silly, but it's akin to the absurd housing choices that result from "tall or sprawl" zoning. My latest in @ggwash.org ggwash.org/view/104984/...
ggwash.org
A trip to Zoning World
Let’s take the family to Zoning World, the most tedious place on earth! If only we had a (missing) middle (housing) ground.
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Terri @terriclarke.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
A new research paper out of UBC examined the effect of purchase rebates (tiered by income) on ebike adoption, and found that ebike adopters reduced their travel costs by 12% and increased their physical activity by 14% with other benefits being enjoyment and general wellbeing.
sciencedirect.com
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 25/09/2026
I didn’t attend climate week but: 1—US is falling way behind on electrification 2—even if US electrified, electricity generation isn’t decarbonizing fast enough 3—public incentives & land use policy are still vastly weighted toward inefficient cars & trucks 4—transit ridership remains in crisis
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Mike Christensen, MCMP, CNU-A, AICP @mrc-slc.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Talking Headways Podcast: People Based Accessibility usa.streetsblog.org/2026/09/24/t... via @usa.streetsblog.org and @theoverheadwire.com
usa.streetsblog.org
Talking Headways Podcast: People Based Accessibility — Streetsblog USA
Maps aren't just about Point A and Point B, but how you get there.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 24/09/2026
"It occurs to me I never buy grocery close to my home, and I think maybe perhaps how we measure [accessibility] can be different from how people living there experienced accessibility, and that’s the idea that interests me and the dissertation idea came from."
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 24/09/2026
We’ve got a great fall lineup for book interviews! Looking forward to chatting about these amazing looking books. I’m also always impressed when someone can write a book. It seems like such a huge endeavor.
Books include The Cabin Wave, Transportation and the Shape of Cities, Building Charm and Build or Die
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 24/09/2026
BTW, I love how David shorthands the Great Property Tax Freakout as GTFO throughout the paper.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 24/09/2026
New #TalkingHeadways podcast! Wendy Zhou talks about her dissertation @priceschool.usc.edu which sets out a people based dynamic accessibility that pushes aside static maps and re-centers time. link.theoverheadwire.com/c7f9w @usa.streetsblog.org @geoffboeing.com
link.theoverheadwire.com
Talking Headways Podcast: People Based Accessibility — Streetsblog USA
Maps aren't just about Point A and Point B, but how you get there.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 24/09/2026
Wednesday's Most Read # 1 - The Great American Property Tax Freak Out link.theoverheadwire.com/q4xjy SSRN David Schleicher @profschleich.bsky.social
link.theoverheadwire.com
The Great American Property Tax Freak Out
There has been a lot of news over the last two years, so it is understandable that neither the mass media nor the legal academy has focused on what is happening
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 24/09/2026
Wednesday's Most Read # 2 - We fought for congestion pricing and won. Here are the lessons from our movement. link.theoverheadwire.com/avfjn Environmental Defense Fund
link.theoverheadwire.com
We fought for congestion pricing and won. Here are the lessons from our movement. - Energy Exchange
To the planners, scientists, cyclists, and countless other advocates working to bring congestion relief programs to their home city for safer streets, cleaner air, and better, more accessible transit:...
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 24/09/2026
Wednesday's Most Read # 3 - Charming urbanism inside the block link.theoverheadwire.com/xr7pg CNU Public Square
link.theoverheadwire.com
Charming urbanism inside the block
A series of small, diverse developments in Edmond, Oklahoma, is building on the idea of inner-block urbanism.
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Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Yes! Image a future where parents put their kids in driverless cars to take them to school while they themselves get in different cars to go to work. Instead of one or two cars chaining trips, now you might have four separate cars making four separate trips. Would be a disaster at scale.
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Patrick Siegman @siegman.biz · 23/09/2026
Perhaps nowhere in America is the divide between auto-oriented and Walkable City environmentalists more clear than in San Francisco, where democrat Connie Chan is running for Congress as a “pro-car progressive,” who aims to convert Sunset Dunes Park into a high-speed highway.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 23/09/2026
Maybe one day they'll figure out that it's better to do this on a cold foggy day than just the hot days when people need to keep their windows open. Just maybe.
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SFist @sfist.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Yes, you are smelling smoke from a fire yet again, but it's just another prescribed burn on Angel Island. buff.ly/YOynRiy
buff.ly
Smoke From Another Prescribed Burn on Angel Island Hovers Over SF
Yes, you are smelling smoke from a fire yet again, but it's just another prescribed burn on Angel Island.
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Matthew Lewis -- living in the era of cults and consequences @mateosfo.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Safe streets activism just grew all the way up. This is massive, game-changing. Second largest city in the US and the most potential for re-balancing streets toward humans. www.streetsforall.org/blog/streets...
streetsforall.org
Streets for All PAC Commits $1.2 Million for Independent Effort Backing Nithya Raman for Mayor — Streets For All
Transportation and safe streets advocacy PAC launches targeted digital, streaming and outdoor advertising campaign across Los Angeles  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 22, 2026 Contact: Mag...
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Ben Raderstorf @raders.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Chuck Marohn being that one grad student who hears about a well-established, empirical phenomenon for the first time and rejects it (and the entire course) out of hand because it doesn't fit his ideological priors pretty much sums up everything you need to know about the guy.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 23/09/2026
New rules governing disruptive behavior on buses in Singapore could come with an over $3,000 fine for the worst offenses. Playing music without headphones is likely to be a $390 fine. link.theoverheadwire.com/gtupa
link.theoverheadwire.com
Listening to loud music on a Singapore bus? It’ll cost you | CNN
Passengers who put their feet on seats, litter, or eat on public transit could be fined up to $390
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Rebecca Saltzman @rebeccaforec.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Meeting canceled: bsky.app/profile/rebe...
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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
​Waymo is all over NYC Climate Week, sponsoring a slew of events. I just watched Adam Lenz, Waymo's sustainability head, field softball questions from Heatmap's CEO (nothing re: added VMT). Waymo clearly hopes to piggyback on YIMBYism. Lenz described Waymo as the "missing middle" of city mobility.
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 23/09/2026
This merger between agencies seems like a big improvement for riders in the suburbs north of Seattle, both in terms of improving service but also increasing legibility. Right now, Everett Transit and Community Transit have multiple overlapping routes.
Community Transit route mapEverett Transit route map
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 23/09/2026
These would be popular in the US too but Volkswagen won’t bring them here because they say Americans only love SUVs
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 23/09/2026
Tuesday's Most Read # 1 - Closing the Rental Wealth Gap link.theoverheadwire.com/mjuwn Stanford Social Innovation Review
link.theoverheadwire.com
Closing the Rental Wealth Gap (SSIR)
For nearly a century, US policy prioritized homeownership to build middle-class wealth—leaving many renters behind. But innovative new renter-wealth models are enabling renters to access the...
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 23/09/2026
Tuesday's Most Read # 2 - USDOT Launches National AV Strategy as International Regulations Take Shape link.theoverheadwire.com/j9p8v Eno Center for Transportation
link.theoverheadwire.com
USDOT Launches National AV Strategy as International Regulations Take Shape - Eno Center for Transportation
USDOT continues efforts to provide regulatory certainty for autonomous vehicles as companies seek to expand developments both domestically and internationally.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 23/09/2026
Tuesday's Most Read # 3 - Rethinking what urban river restoration can look like link.theoverheadwire.com/h7vnd USC Today
link.theoverheadwire.com
In Los Angeles, USC effort rethinks what urban river restoration can look like
Study at a former rail yard along L.A. River explores new approaches to flood protection.
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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
More big news: Community Transit and Everett Transit will be unveiling their proposed consolidation agreement tomorrow.
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Mike Hicks @mulad.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Just getting to this now, where Dumbaugh is noting that European countries more frequently block stroady high-speed arterial streets from having businesses directly on them, reducing the chance of pedestrians needing to use them in the first place
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 21/09/2026
Monday's Most Read # 1 - Could Robotaxis Create New Path to Congestion Pricing? link.theoverheadwire.com/k7h9m Government Technology
link.theoverheadwire.com
Could Robotaxis Create New Path to Congestion Pricing?
As robotaxis begin taking to the roads in major U.S. cities, some experts are wondering if congestion pricing could be coming along with them.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 21/09/2026
Monday's Most Read # 2 - British Columbia’s Transit-Oriented Housing Law: A Progress Report link.theoverheadwire.com/jpu8f Sightline Institute @sightline.org
link.theoverheadwire.com
British Columbia’s Transit-Oriented Housing Law: A Progress Report | Sightline Institute
Bill 47, a provincewide push for more homes near transit, is two years old this summer. It’s making an impact, but it needs more teeth.
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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 21/09/2026
Monday's Most Read # 3 - What If We Treated Housing Like a Human Right? link.theoverheadwire.com/e4rmu Dame Magazine @damemagazine.bsky.social
link.theoverheadwire.com
What If We Treated Housing Like a Human Right? - Dame Magazine
America’s housing crisis has made buying or renting a home unaffordable for millions. Here’s what the U.S. can learn from countries that do housing differently.
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