Please make a tax-deductible gift to Streetsblog Chicago so we have the resources to help keep Windy City streets moving in the right direction. 2013 has been a landmark year for walking, biking and transit in Chicago. We’ve seen the launch of Divvy bike-share, the South Red Line reconstruction, the introduction of speed cameras, the start of construction on the Bloomingdale Trail, and other exciting developments.

Next year promises to be an equally important year. Landmarks on the horizon include the expansion of Divvy, the opening of the Bloomingdale, and the start of construction on the central Loop bus rapid transit corridor.

There are no guarantees. After two-and-a-half years of groundbreaking change, Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein stepped down last week, and Deputy Commissioner Scott Kubly will be leaving at the end of this month. It remains to be seen who will fill the void.

Streetsblog Chicago launched in January, and we’ve had a busy year documenting these positive changes and pushing for more bold action to create safer, more efficient, more vibrant streets. We’ve also worked hard to counter the reactionaries attempting to hold our city and region back with 1950s-style, car-centered urban planning.

We need your help to make Streetsblog Chicago a sustainable venture. Today we’ve launched our December pledge drive. If you value the work we do, please consider making a contribution to Streetsblog so we can keep bringing you the latest in transportation news and pushing for more progress. With the departure of Klein and Kubly, it will be more important than ever for us to serve as a watchdog, making sure that city agencies keep moving forward.

Thanks for making Streetsblog Chicago possible. Your tax-deductible gift will help us raise $50,000 by December 31 to keep us going through 2014 and beyond. To keep things interesting, we are giving away one beautiful C7 and one classy V7 bicycle from our friends at PUBLIC bikes to two lucky readers who give $50 or more. We’ll hold the drawing after December 31, and the first name out of the hat gets first pick.