April 2, 2026—Senior Transportation Policy Advocate Laurel Paget-Seekins joined Jeff Wood on episode 573 of the nationally broadcast Talking Headways podcast to discuss what’s at stake as the Trump administration moves to gut Title VI disparate impact enforcement in federally funded transportation programs.

Laurel traces the history of civil rights law in transportation—from the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act to the LA Bus Riders Union consent decree, the Oakland Airport Connector complaint, and ongoing highway expansion fights in Texas—and explains why disparate impact analysis is a critical tool for ensuring that transportation projects don’t disproportionately harm Black and brown communities.

She also breaks down a local example hitting close to home: how Clipper card fare capping policies are leaving East Oakland cash riders—disproportionately Black and Latino—paying up to $17 more per week than other riders for the same service. And she makes the case for California to build its own civil rights enforcement infrastructure before the federal protections disappear entirely.

Listen to the episode.