Gabe Klein may be gone, but Chicago remains committed to remaking streets that prioritize transit, biking, and walking. Which means there’s a ton at stake in the year ahead. You can help make the most of these opportunities: Streetsblog Chicago needs your support to continue producing high-impact reporting that makes the case for streets where people come first.

This year Streetsblog Chicago cranked out more coverage hammering the potential backdoor subsidies for the Illiana Tollway boondoggle, which governor-elect Bruce Rauner can put a stop to in 2015. We defended the construction of parking-lite housing near ‘L’ stations from NIMBY attacks. We amplified the advocates pressing for a redesign of Lake Shore Drive that would add dedicated space for transit and better walking and biking access to the lakefront. We called out opponents of automated traffic enforcement who want to undo the progress that’s been made on reducing dangerous driving.

Streetsblog Chicago is an essential media watchdog that keeps public officials on their toes. We connect people who care about building a safe, healthy, productive transportation system to the news and analysis they need to be informed citizens and effective advocates. If you value the work we do, please help keep the site going by making a tax-free donation. You can earmark your gift so that it goes directly toward Streetsblog Chicago coverage.

Next year is going to be especially important for the future of Chicago streets. With the bike network poised to expand and major BRT projects on tap for the Loop and beyond, it’s crucial to get elected representatives on the record. As the municipal elections approach, Streetsblog Chicago will bring transit and street safety to the forefront by getting candidates to weigh in on these issues.

We can’t do it without your support. Please keep us going strong in 2015 and make a donation to Streetsblog Chicago today.

As an added incentive, the good folks at PUBLIC Bikes have donated a sleek new R16 road bike, which we’ll be raffling off to readers who give to Streetsblog by the end of the year.

Thanks for your support and, as always, thanks for reading Streetsblog Chicago.

– John