Starting in 2012, Aaron Bialick Will Be Steering Streetsblog SF

After receiving applications from many fine journalists, I’m pleased to announce that OpenPlans is hiring a new editor to manage Streetsblog San Francisco. Aaron Bialick will be taking the reins full-time starting on January 3, 2012.

Aaron learned the journalism trade at the side of Streetsblog SF founding editor Bryan Goebel. Following Bryan’s departure, Aaron found time in between research assignments at SPUR to step in and keep Streetsblog going, putting together insightful reporting and commentary on issues like the DA’s record prosecuting deadly drivers. I’m looking forward to working with him and watching Streetsblog SF thrive under his stewardship.

I would like to thank the craigslist Charitable Fund, Mike’s Bikes, the Seed Fund, Jonathan Weiner, and the many readers who contributed to Streetsblog San Francisco, without whom we would not have been able to manage this transition. If you value Streetsblog’s work, please consider a year-end donation to help us provide top-notch livable streets coverage in 2012. Your support makes a huge difference.

There are so many promising changes afoot in San Francisco, but many of them seem to crawl along at a snail’s pace. Political inertia dies hard, and the need is as great as ever for Streetsblog’s bread-and-butter reporting:

• Holding Mayor Ed Lee to his promises on transit, biking, and walking.
• Watchdogging the SFMTA and tracking the agency’s progress on improving Muni, making streets safer for walking, and bringing the bike network up to par with leading American cities like New York and Chicago.
• Holding SFPD and the DA’s office accountable for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists on city streets.

Moving forward, we'll be counting on our readers to help make the case for change. Aaron, after all, can't be everywhere, and we'll need many more eyes on the street to capture the dysfunction of San Francisco's transportation network. Stay tuned for details about the reader submissions we're looking for.

Happy holidays everyone. We'll see you back here on January 3.