Today’s Headlines for Thursday, December 12

• MPC head discusses what she wants to see new CDOT chief Gia Biagi accomplish (Sun-Times)
• Metra's on-time record is slipping, and the worst route is the Heritage Line to Joliet (Tribune)
• Metra may eliminate the option of paying cash on board (Tribune)
• Video shows park district worker on LFT escaping salt truck before it slid into the lake (ABC)
• Police: There have been multiple robberies on the South Red Line (NBC)
• Red, Yellow, Purple trains were halted Tuesday by ‘track switching problems’ at Howard (Sun-Times)
• Tollway boss brings in five former colleagues, at $893,000 a year  (Daily Herald)

I’d like to give a big thanks to everyone who has donated so far this year to help us raise $50K by our January 1 deadline in order to win the $50K challenge grant from the Chicago Community Trust. Can you help us win the grant by chipping in? You can make a tax-exempt donation here.

Thanks for your support, and enjoy the holiday season.

– John Greenfield, editor, Streetsblog Chicago