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Hi there Streetsblog Chicago readers,
2022 has been a momentous year for Chicagoland sustainable transportation and safe streets issues. One of the most urgent matters has been the need to make the CTA more reliable, safe, and pleasant as the region continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's emerging as a major campaign issue in February's Chicago mayoral election. This has also been a terrible year for traffic violence, with at least 27 pedestrian deaths and eight bike fatalities on city streets, including the tragic deaths of several children. As such, Streetsblog Chicago's livable streets reporting and advocacy is more important than ever.
To help keep the site going strong, it's time to launch our annual campaign to raise $50,000 via small grants, ads, sponsorships, and tax-deductible donations from readers like you. We are also in the running for a major grant that would round out our 2023 budget. We'd like to wrap up our fund drive by January 31. Of course, if you'd like to take advantage of end-of-year tax benefits by chipping in before New Year's Day, we'd greatly appreciate that.
Here are some of Streetsblog Chicago's advocacy milestones from 2022.
- Helping to defeat the proposed ordinance that would have essentially legalized 9 mph speeding near Chicago parks and schools.
- Launching bilingual coverage of transportation issues in Chicago's Spanish-speaking neighborhoods
- Raising awareness of Chicagoland's epidemic of child traffic violence fatalities.
- Encouraging the passage of Chicago's Connecting Communities equitable transit-oriented development ordinance, and celebrating the opening of the Lucy Gonzalez Parsons eTOD in Logan Square, which SBC pushed hard for.
- Highlighting the equity problems with Divvy bike-share's new pricing system.
- Pointing out the folly of gas giveaways by the city of Chicago and a mayoral challenger.
- Successfully pushing the CTA to stop misrepresenting the amount of service it can actually provide during a time of labor shortages, and encouraging the agency to put more effort into retaining and recruiting bus and train operators.
Here are some of items on Streetsblog Chicago's agenda for 2023.
- Making a case for passing a transit tax-increment financing district to fund the south Red Line extension, a key transit equity project.
- Expanding our coverage of transportation issues in majority-Black neighborhoods and suburbs.
- Continuing to lobby the CTA to address its reliability, security, and cleanliness challenges with effective and equitable solutions.
- Educating Chicago voters about the mayoral candidates' transportation platforms.
- Pushing for safer pedestrian facilities; a network of fast bus routes; and a citywide grid of connected, protected bikeways to help reduce car-dependence and lower traffic fatalities.
Streetsblog Chicago is a community-funded news outlet that relies on sponsors, advertisers, and – especially – readers like you to help us keep the lights on. If you appreciate our livable streets coverage, please consider making a donation today. Thanks for your support!
-- John Greenfield, editor
