
Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast
A weekly podcast about the intersection between sustainable transportation, urban planning, and economic development. Hosted by Jeff Wood of The Overhead Wire.
Latest episodes

Jul 3, 2025 • 48min
Flashback: Fixing Mobility as a Service
This week we’re joined by David Hencher, Director of the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies at the University of Sydney. David chats about how to fix Mobility as a Service, why transportation providers aren’t home base for these services, and proposes a new way to reduce travel and emissions called Mobility as a Feature. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site! And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

Jul 1, 2025 • 41min
Episode 174: Mondays at The Overhead Wire - A Bike Share Triathlon
This week we're Han Solo again, but we discuss lead pollution and serial killers, PM 1 micro-pollution, and how ICE raids are reducing transit ridership in Los Angeles. Below is a full linked article list: Main Items ICE raids lead to low LA ridership - LA Times Tinier particles data finally collected - Washington University St. Louis Reversible architecture - ArchDaily TTC congestion management - blogTO Bonus Items KC wants to pay for block parties - Kansas City Star Disasters impact baby brains - Gizmodo Full of lead - The Overhead Wire Oakland block tries to quit fossil fuels - KQED End of Energy Star? - Smart Cities Dive China's high speed rail debate - Asia Times Arizona to vote on VMT charges - Ballotpedia How government can finance low cost homes - Nonprofit Quarterly Florida restricts bus lanes to ridership quotas - Tampa Bay Times New motor could change e-bikes - Electrek Toronto bike lane gets more traffic - Carbon Upfront! Oregon housing bonds surpassed expectations - Governing Puppies and Butterflies: Michelin Restaurants on LA Transit Bike share triathlon +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site! And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

Jun 26, 2025 • 55min
Episode 539: Testing Universal Basic Mobility
This week we’re joined by Madeline Brozen of the UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies. We talk about universal basic mobility and research her team has done on the LA Mobility Wallet Pilot Program. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site! And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

Jun 19, 2025 • 48min
Episode 538: Small Scale Manufacturing in Cities
This week we’re joined by Ilana Preuss of Recast City to talk about small scale manufacturing in cities. We discuss the commercial side of economic development, the types of jobs we are creating, and how to build community wealth in left behind places. We also talk about hot planning topics such as jobs housing balance, economic multipliers, and spreading the retail peanut butter too thin. Get Illana's book Recast City. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site! And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

Jun 17, 2025 • 38min
Episode 173: Mondays at The Overhead Wire - Is This Podcast a Third Place?
This week on the podcast, we're Han Solo but there's still a lot of news to share! We talk about research that shows how active transportation can reduce emissions even more than before, the ever growing fueling station, the "dark roof" lobby, and what is a third place really? Below are the show notes with the items we discussed. Show Notes Gas stations growing - New York Times Emissions reductions from active transport - Transportation Research Part D Traffic academy expands - News from the States Dark roof lobby - The Guardian What is a third place? - Eater Supreme court permitting revolution - Heatmap Commuter rail ridership is urban - Pedestrian Observations Santa Monica airport over people - Fast Company Bonus Items LA gentrification lowers transit ridership - CalMatters Ending race, gender DBE contracting by USDOT - Reuters Chinese trucks switch to electric - Transport Topics Housing costs delay medical treatment - Wisconsin Public Radio Poll says residents want Metromover - Miami Herald Bologna's mobility strategy - Eurocities Miami to monitor home temps - WLRN Using mushrooms as building materials - Ideastream Public Radio Limiting car dimensions - Transport and Environment +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site! And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

Jun 12, 2025 • 52min
Episode 537: Creating Positive Soundscapes in Cities
This week we’re joined by Chris Berdik to talk about his book Clamor: How Noise Took Over the World and How We Can Take it Back. We discuss the impacts of road noise on health and wellbeing, how our brains process sound, and creating positive urban soundscapes. We also talk about the problems with open offices and the incomplete story of the decibel. Bonus link: Designing the sounds of TfL's buses in London - YouTube Find Chris at ChrisBerdik.com +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site! And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

Jun 5, 2025 • 1h 1min
Episode 536: Keys to San Francisco's Future
This week we’re joined by Sujata Srivastava, Chief Policy Officer at SPUR, to discuss a recent policy brief entitled The Next 100 Days: An urbanist decision-making framework for San Francisco’s new mayor. We discuss reforming the city's governance structure, what's needed for downtown recovery, transit policy and climate resilience. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site! And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

Jun 3, 2025 • 41min
Episode 172: Mondays at The Overhead Wire - Charge Them More for Zombie Miles
This week on Mondays at The Overhead Wire we're Han Solo, but we've got some really interesting pieces for everyone including on federal transportation funding, EPA trying to kill climate protections, and a group of Seattle friends build a home together. Main News Highway trust fund dead since 2008 - T4America EPA wants to kill GHG regs for power plants - New York Times Washington State woonerfs - The Urbanist US government built social housing - The Conversation The 50% AV problem - Changing Lanes Group of friends live together - Fast Company Front range rail line - Colorado Newsline Maui neighborhood built fast - Fast Company Valencia's ceramic paving - Euronews Seattle's new subway - City Observatory Regional Block Grants - Brookings Bonus Items Transit expansion in Montana - Daily Montanan Benefits of congestion pricing - New York Times EPA rolls back limits for forever chemicals in drinking water - AP Amsterdam smart charging - CleanTechnica Colorado housing order - Colorado Public Radio Urban childen prone to allergies - University of Rochester Trump will regret cutting energy star - Heatmap Economics of street fairs - Sherwood News Spain orders AirBnB - New York Times Lessons from LA mobility wallet - KTLA China's airlines raise alarm on HSR market share - South China Morning Post Dieselgate killed 16K people - The Guardian +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site! And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

May 29, 2025 • 1h 4min
Episode 535: Bike Guides to Build Your City
This week we’re joined by Bill Schultheiss of Toole Design to talk about bike facility design guides. We look at the benefits of both AASHTO and NACTO guides and discuss the importance of history, political will, and the stress of being an expert witness in a trial. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site! And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

May 22, 2025 • 41min
Episode 534: When You Don't Really Need an Ambulance
This week we’re joined by Ross Peterson to talk about non emergency medical transportation and his new wheelchair accessible transportation company RIDEtoo. We talk about transportation funding for medical visits and how they can be more efficient. Also find Ross on Linked In +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site! And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com