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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. http://theoverheadwire.com Sign up for our 19 year old daily newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/theoverheadwire/trial

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · Nov 14

Hey everyone! For those who might not be familiar with our work, The Overhead Wire is a daily newsletter that's been sending since 2006. We go through about 1,500 news items on cities each day and pull out the most interesting ones and tag them by topic and city for our link archive. (1/x)

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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 1d

Appears the Trump admin’s reduction in force has hit housing hard this evening.

Reports that all CDFI fund staff have been let go. HUD appears to have lost 442 staff.

Yet another federal cut that will make providing affordable housing in the US all the more challenging.

Reports that all staff of CDFI Fund have been let go

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Deb Chachra @debcha.bsky.social · 1d

My leave is primarily focused on sharing and building on the ideas in HOW INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS and laying track for my next projects. I do have some capacity for collaborations -- please reach out if you've wanted to work together. (Vancouver friends, stay tuned for some fun events in the pipeline!)

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 1d

They are putting them on the sides of mountains and everywhere in between. It’s a wild scene from the train.

From a high speed train you can see Solar panels on a mountain in the distance

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Seamless Bay Area @seamlessbayareaca.bsky.social · 2d

Great to see that Caltrain will now be paid for clean power returned to the grid from regenerative braking, thanks to a good bill by Asm Papan.
www.caltrain.com/news/caltrai...

Caltrain to be Paid for Clean Power Returned to the Grid | Caltrain

Caltrain will now be compensated for the power its new electric trains return to the grid through regenerative braking, thanks to policy changes by its clean energy partners Peninsula Clean Energy (PC...

www.caltrain.com

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Jeffrey Tumlin 🏳️‍🌈 🌁 @jeffreytumlin.bsky.social · 2d

In the 70s, engineers warned that merging 5 unprotected streetcars into a single subway was a bad idea. So glad today's Muni team has plan to rationalize SF's main subway and prepare for ridership growth storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/8c45...

Muni Metro Capacity Study

Draft recommendations

storymaps.arcgis.com

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 1d

New Talking Headways podcast! We chat with Ben Donsky about the creation of an under highway park in Birmingham Alabama. usa.streetsblog.org/2025/10/09/t... @usa.streetsblog.org

Talking Headways Podcast: Under a Highway in Birmingham Alabama — Streetsblog USA

Ben Donsky on City Walk BHAM in Birmingham, Alabama, a public space project that connects two sides of the city separated by a highway.

usa.streetsblog.org

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Centre for Public Impact (CPI) @cpi-foundation.bsky.social · 2d

🎙️Season 4 of 'Reimagining Government' is here: open.spotify.com/episode/7yah...

Ep 1 – From heatwaves to city hall: Eleni Myrivili on climate-resilient cities 🌆🔥

UN HABITAT’s first Chief Heat Officer shares how extreme heat exposes inequality—and why justice & care must guide #ClimateAction.

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Mike Christensen, MCMP, CNU-A, AICP @mrc-slc.bsky.social · 2d

Talking Headways Podcast: Under a Highway in Birmingham Alabama - usa.streetsblog.org/2025/10/09/t... via @usa.streetsblog.org and @theoverheadwire.com

Talking Headways Podcast: Under a Highway in Birmingham Alabama — Streetsblog USA

Ben Donsky on City Walk BHAM in Birmingham, Alabama, a public space project that connects two sides of the city separated by a highway.

usa.streetsblog.org

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T&E @transportenvironment.org · 3d

🚛 The Netherlands is seeing a major shift in urban freight thanks to zero-emission zones for freight in 18 of its cities.

By early 2025, 78% of new vans were electric -- compared to just 9% across the EU.

📑 New @cleancitiescampaign.org briefing: bit.ly/431I7al

Clean Cities Campaign graph with the title: Dutch municipalities with zero-emission zones for freight have a higher share of electric vans.

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 2d

I’ve come across more than a few books and articles recently where I had to be like “all the bad seems to have got going in the “late70s/early 80s”

The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 2d

Wednesday's Most Read # 1 - An urbanist’s guide to Houston: Removing signal priority from the Red Line is a mistake link.theoverheadwire.com/3wx9c Rice Thresher

An urbanist’s guide to Houston: Removing signal priority from the Red Line is a mistake

The city of Houston just made a change that could cause delays to ripple across the city’s entire transportation network.

link.theoverheadwire.com

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 2d

Wednesday's Most Read # 2 - Raleigh awards a $65 million contract for its first bus rapid transit line link.theoverheadwire.com/fy4aw News and Observer

Raleigh awards a $65 million contract for its first bus rapid transit line

The City Council approved the second and largest of three contracts to build BRT along New Bern Avenue between downtown and New Hope Road.

link.theoverheadwire.com

The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 2d

Wednesday's Most Read # 3 - Creating accessible destinations and reforms that support disabled populations in Toulouse link.theoverheadwire.com/9yapw Eurocities

Toulouse: Breaking barriers and opening doors for all - Eurocities

“We’re one of the few cities in Europe offering audio description for all major sports (football, rugby, handball, basketball). Not just for blind people, but for anyone who wants a better understandi...

link.theoverheadwire.com

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Blair Lorenzo / The Fox and the City @thefoxandthecity.com · 3d

Print this and frame it on the wall with the title, "Why North American Transit Construction Costs are So High"

Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 3d

I just can't get over the differences in scale between Ballard Link's Westlake Station as proposed and the original Westlake Station, off to the left.

Ballard Link's Westlake has two separate entrances underneath separate buildings, with one showing a long tunnel to get to the train guideway. They are at least five stories deeper than the original Westlake, which is tiny and only around 10-15% of the size

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Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 3d

Free shipping from @bookshop.org continues today. Plus they have Life After Cars for about $2 off, so preorder your copy!

The War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 4d

Ooh... free shipping at @bookshop.org today and tomorrow as part of their "anti-Prime sale."

Includes preorders, so get your copy of Life After Cars.

bookshop.org/a/9252/97805...

Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile

Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile

bookshop.org

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 3d

I wrote a bit about this as well - Transportation planning impacts sleep substack.com/home/post/p-...

Transportation Planning Impacts Sleep

The Overhead Wire Daily Intro

substack.com

The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 3d

Tuesday's Most Read # 1 - Scientists Expose How Housing and Commutes Steal Sleep link.theoverheadwire.com/qfthj

Scientists Expose How Housing and Commutes Steal Sleep

City living’s hidden cost: long commutes and small homes are quietly stealing your sleep.

link.theoverheadwire.com

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 3d

Tuesday's Most Read # 2 - The dried-out subdivisions of Phoenix - High Country News link.theoverheadwire.com/kv4n9 @highcountrynews.org

The dried-out subdivisions of Phoenix - High Country News

A groundwater crisis halted the construction of thousands of homes and pitted affordability against environmental concerns.

link.theoverheadwire.com

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 3d

Tuesday's Most Read # 3 - Kwik Trip Eliminates the Penny link.theoverheadwire.com/kh8me @urbanmilwaukee.com

Kwik Trip Eliminates the Penny

Stores will start rounding cash transactions down to the nearest five cents.

link.theoverheadwire.com

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Lloyd Alter @lloydalter.bsky.social · 3d

I saw my first Mercedes Econic garbage truck in Newcastle the other day and was so excited! This is the kind of vehicle we should be demanding in Canada to stop the killing of pedestrians and cyclists. Canada has hewed to the USA safety standards, but now is the time to go our own way.

Canada should make side guards on trucks mandatory; the usual excuse no longer works

Now that we are plotting an independent course from the USA, it’s time to develop our own safety strategies and standards.

lloydalter.substack.com

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Mikey 🚎🥑🏳️‍🌈 @hiimmikey.bsky.social · 4d

Just when I thought I’d gotten a real understanding of the ingredients of good urbanism, @theoverheadwire.com interviews Mary Pat McGuire about the literal ground our cities are placed upon.

Grey spaces vs green spaces, such a novel thought to me. Highly recommend a listen!

Episode 353: Depave Cities

open.spotify.com

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Jeffrey Tumlin 🏳️‍🌈 🌁 @jeffreytumlin.bsky.social · 5d

Book report: To address climate change and traffic violence, we desperately need more everyday citizens to work together for positive change. @carterlavin.bsky.social's book is the perfect how-to guide for anyone to translate their rage or hope into strategic action. Highly recommended

Jeffrey Tumlin 🏳️‍🌈 🌁 @jeffreytumlin.bsky.social · 8d

Sabbatical pleasure #27: Reading.
Sabbatical pleasure #28: When new books by @benschneider.bsky.social and @carterlavin.bsky.social arrive on the same day! @islandpress.bsky.social
islandpress.org/books/unfini...
islandpress.org/books/if-you...

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 4d

Monday's Most Read # 1 - We need to talk about ‘missing massive’ housing link.theoverheadwire.com/8rj7k The Urban Condition

We need to talk about ‘missing massive’ housing

In most neighborhoods, missing middle housing will do the trick. But right on top of subway stations, missing massive is a worthy goal.

link.theoverheadwire.com

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The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 4d

Monday's Most Read # 2 - Lifting the ‘constant black cloud’: how a smog-bound city (Santiago Chile) cut dangerous levels of air pollution link.theoverheadwire.com/cjyg8 @theguardian.com

Lifting the ‘constant black cloud’: how a smog-bound city cut dangerous levels of air pollution

A 30-year effort driven by long-term policies is finally paying off in Santiago in Chile – but the challenge is far from over

link.theoverheadwire.com

The Overhead Wire @theoverheadwire.com · 4d

Monday's Most Read # 3 - The Homeless We Don’t See link.theoverheadwire.com/q6mt4 New York Review of Books

The Homeless We Don’t See | Jay Neugeboren

As housing costs have risen and affordable housing remains in short supply, even Americans with full-time job are experiencing homelessness.

link.theoverheadwire.com