Scott and Oak Streets. Photo: Aaron Bialick

Editor’s note: Happy New Year, everyone – I am elated to kick off 2012 as your new editor! There’s a lot of ground for Streetsblog to cover this year, and I am thrilled to take it on and explore the issues that matter most to our readers.

Streetsblog readers are no doubt familiar with the reckless driving and inconsiderate parking that endangers and inconveniences other people on the streets. The consequences of poorly designed streets and inadequate traffic enforcement are all around us. It might be a car blatantly blocking a sidewalk, bus lane, or bike lane. Or the aftermath of a crash that hurt a pedestrian or cyclist, or damaged a bus stop.

We want your photos, short video clips, and other eyewitness accounts to help us paint a picture of the danger and dysfunction on the city’s car-centric streets. Nothing makes the case for the street redesigns and policy reforms that Streetsblog writes about quite like a telling image of the everyday headaches we often take for granted. Streetsblog will run any picture or video that conveys the need for change, but we’re especially interested in the following:

• Cars blocking crosswalks, sidewalks, and dedicated lanes for buses and bikes
• Drivers failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks
• Video that captures the routine delays on Muni, like vehicle breakdowns, car congestion, excessive stops, and long dwell times

If you see something on the street that catches your eye, send your photos, videos, and stories to tips@sf.streetsblog.org.

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.

With a mayoral election next week and fresh possibilities for change on the horizon, we’re looking for a talented journalist to manage Streetsblog San Francisco’s coverage of sustainable transportation and livable streets in the Bay Area.

We welcome applications from engaging writers who share our vision of Streetsblog as a respected, influential source of information and commentary on transportation and planning issues. The ideal candidate will have a firm grasp of local politics and a keen sense of how Streetsblog coverage can help advance transportation policies that reduce traffic congestion and car dependence while improving conditions for transit, cycling, and walking.

Responsibilities

Streetsblog combines a distinct advocacy bent with newspaper-quality journalism. Toward that end, we are seeking a reporter to craft a well-rounded beat full of original content, interviews, event coverage and engaging commentary. Applicants should be enthusiastic about the notion that journalism can be conducted with integrity and fidelity to the truth while retaining a point of view. Knowing how to effectively impart a message without overwhelming your writing is an essential skill for this position.

The editor will:

• Create a daily stream of news and content that builds Streetsblog SF’s audience
• Research and write enterprise pieces about developments in transportation and planning policy happening around the city and elsewhere in the Bay Area
• Track ongoing stories, such as pieces of legislation or specific street redesigns, and build narratives around them
• Conduct interviews and cultivate relationships with lawmakers, public officials, advocates, and policy experts
• Produce commentary that holds officials to account for their decisions, and corrects errors and misperceptions that surface in the media
• Pinpoint opportunities for transportation improvements and reforms, and explain what has to change to enact them
• Mix in short posts and photo-based content
• Manage and edit freelance contributors

Qualifications

• Previous reporting experience, ideally covering transportation or planning issues.
• Passion for and knowledge of progressive urban planning, transportation, and land use topics
• Excellent writing and research skills, as evidenced by clips
• Experience with Word Press or other blogging/content production platforms is a big plus

To Apply

Send a resume, cover letter, and relevant clips/links to Ben Fried: ben@streetsblog.org.

Streetsblog is produced by OpenPlans, a New York City-based non-profit that improves cities using journalism and open-source software. The San Francisco editor position is full-time, and will report to the editor-in-chief in New York. 

Photo: Myleen Hollero/Orange Photography

Today was my last day as editor of Streetsblog San Francisco. Just like the day I published my first story, I spent the morning talking to bicyclists at a trouble spot. One of the great joys of this job has been interviewing people in the field. Some of my best moments have been spent talking to strangers. I’ve learned so much from those encounters.

I took this job three years ago because I was angry at the state of the streets in San Francisco. While we’ve made a lot of progress in that time, we still haven’t arrived at the game-changing moment. So none of that anger I had when I was first hired has subsided. An advocacy news organization like Streetsblog will continue to be crucial in the years ahead to ensure the change that is so needed on our streets.

As I depart, three things are heavily on my mind, and disturb me as both an advocate and a journalist: the high numbers of bicyclists and pedestrians who continue to be killed and hurt on our streets by drivers, the inertia and dysfunction in all levels of San Francisco city government that is preventing safer streets, and the great veil of government secrecy that still exists despite our local Sunshine Ordinance. That’s why I plan to continue my career as a journalist, fighting to knock down these walls.

I’m relieved to know that OpenPlans is committed to keep Streetsblog going. It is a bittersweet moment for me to write this last post to you. OpenPlans is in the process of searching for the next person to run Streetsblog SF, and in the meantime you’ll still be able to tune in every day for your morning headlines fix.

I owe a great deal of thanks to so many people. Thank you Streetsblog founding editor Aaron Naparstek for hiring me. I could never have done this without former Streetsblog deputy editor Matthew Roth, who turned me into an advocate, made me a better writer and has become a great friend. Former Streetsblog reporters Michael Rhodes and Aaron Bialick were great to work with, and helped me immensely. I continue to be inspired by the legendary historian and activist Chris Carlsson, whose writing contributions were always a treasure. Streetsblog editor-in-chief Ben Fried also made me a better writer, and his tireless work on behalf of the organization is also inspiring. Thanks for all your support Ben.

Also, thank you Leah Shahum, Andy Thornley, Kit Hodge, Marc Caswell, Neal Patel, Kate McCarthy, Brook DuBose and many others associated with the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Michael Helquist of BIKE NOPA has been one of my closest advisers and friends. Tom Radulovich of Livable City sat me down and gave me a kind of Sustainable Transportation and Land Use 101 when I first started, and he is one of the brightest minds on the issues. Elizabeth Stampe at Walk SF has done an excellent job since she took over as executive director, and the organization is more high-profile than it’s ever been. Thank you also to Walk SF President Manish Champsee. Susan King and Beth Byrne at Sunday Streets are two of my favorite people, and I’m going to miss working with them. I learned a great deal from Dave Snyder, now the executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition, and we had some great times. Jason Henderson’s insight has also been invaluable. David Alumbaugh, Andres Power and all the talented folks at the Planning Department’s City Design Group were very, very helpful. I know I’m forgetting quite a few people here, but thank you all for making my job easier.

And of course, my thanks to all of you, our great community of readers. You’ve kept me honest. I’ve met some of you in the bike lane, and your passion and smarts on the issues continue to impress me.

You can follow me on Twitter, subscribe or friend me on Facebook, and stay tuned to bryangoebel.com for details on my next adventure.

I get annoyed that Critical Mass is frequently dismissed as a fringe event for scofflaw cyclists, but it’s been really key in sparking so many movements around the world. And that’s where I plan to be tonight to celebrate my great run at Streetsblog and the road ahead. Perhaps I’ll see you.

Bryan is leaving Streetsblog at the end of the month, and on behalf of the editors and reporters who’ve worked with him, I’d like to say a few words of praise and appreciation.

On a personal level, Bryan has made me a better reporter and editor. His professionalism and experience in the news business seeped in to the way we run every other part of Streetsblog. Under Bryan, Streetsblog SF started breaking stories and landing interviews with influential policymakers at a prodigious rate. I’m still kind of blown away by the fact that he got a sit-down interview about street safety with the police chief. That’s something I still aspire to do.

From my vantage point in New York, the value of Bryan’s work at Streetsblog San Francisco is immediately apparent. Streetsblog’s presence in each city helps serve as a conduit for innovation – highlighting improvements in one city that can be adopted in the other. What started out as “parklets” in San Francisco became “pop-up cafes” in NYC. And Streetsblog SF made it impossible for then-Mayor Gavin Newsom to ignore the fact that NYC DOT was putting his city to shame when it comes to preventing pedestrian injuries and deaths. The mayor announced San Francisco’s pedestrian safety directive not long after Streetsblog’s Matthew Roth called on him to step up and match NYC’s commitment to pedestrian safety.

The list of Streetsblog SF’s successes under Bryan could go on. And it’s critical that the blog’s impact does go on after he leaves at the end of the month. There is still so much more to accomplish to ensure that San Francisco lives up to its “transit-first” promises: Muni routes that must be improved for transit riders, streets that must be made safer for walking and cycling. Streetsblog will continue its role as an online nerve center for the community working to achieve these changes and overcome the inertia that too often prevents progress. With a new mayor entering office next year, the need for Streetsblog to raise the standard for local electeds is as great as ever.

Bryan has been the bedrock of Streetsblog SF since its inception, and his departure is setting in motion a period of transition. There are two needs we have to meet to ensure that Streetsblog SF navigates the transition successfully: Funding and talent.

Streetsblog SF readers stepped up in a big way when we first asked for contributions to sustain our work in the Bay Area. We’re deeply grateful to all our donors, who’ve funded a lot of great livable streets coverage. Thanks to your donations, the support of sponsor Mike’s Bikes, and contributions from institutional funders, we have a good baseline to build on. Now we need to grow these revenue sources and make them more predictable.

I have been working with Bryan and our director of development, Christa Orth, to survey the funding landscape and develop a long-term revenue plan. Right now, this is the question I would like you to ask yourself: How much is Streetsblog San Francisco worth to you? What are you willing to contribute each year to keep informed about livable streets issues in your community and hold politicians’ feet to the fire on transit and street safety policy? We’re not asking for checks or donations at this point. What we need to know, to plan for the future of Streetsblog SF, is the level of reader support we can count on.

If you want to help personally, or you work for a local business who would like to support Streetsblog by placing an ad or sponsorship, you can email Christa: corth [at] streetsblog [dot] org.

When it comes to talent, running a full-fledged Streetsblog operation day in and day out requires journalistic skill, subject matter expertise, and passion — a rare combination. But I know that the quality of Bryan’s work has inspired many talented people, and we’ll be combing the Bay Area for the right person to take over the blog. Over the past three years, Streetsblog SF has thrived with as many as three full-time reporters and as few as one. For now, we are looking for one editor to serve in a capacity similar to Damien Newton at Streetsblog Los Angeles, producing most of the content and managing a stable of other contributors.

We’ll be posting the editor’s job description soon, but if you already know you want to throw your hat in the ring, you can email me your resume and cover letter: ben [at] streetsblog [dot] org.

In my experience, it takes about 12-16 weeks to conduct this kind of search and know you are making the right choice. There will probably be an interim phase on the blog, between Bryan’s departure and the hiring of a new editor, during which we’ll rely on freelance contributors and volunteers to produce content. We’ll continue to publish daily during this period and to syndicate our national stories from Streetsblog Capitol Hill and the Streetsblog Network.

If you would like to write for Streetsblog SF on a freelance basis – by compiling the daily headlines or writing original features and commentary – then show us what you’ve got. Drop me a line and describe how you want to contribute.

To our Bay Area readers — thank you everyone for making Streetsblog SF the community that it is, for supporting our work, and for working toward more livable streets. And thank you Bryan for giving it your all. Can’t wait to see what you write these next three weeks and what you accomplish post-Streetsblog.

Ben Fried
Streetsblog Editor-in-Chief

Photo: Myleen Hollero/Orange Photography

Back in December 2008, when Streetsblog founding editor Aaron Naparstek hired me, I didn’t know what chicanes and bulb-outs and woonerfs were. I hadn’t read “The High Cost of Free Parking” or heard of Jan Gehl. All I knew was that I was angry San Francisco had a bike injunction that was preventing an expansion of the bike network, and I wanted to do something about it.

Boy, did I.

I was paired with one of the smartest and most passionate colleagues I’ve ever worked with, Matthew Roth, and together with our wonderful team of writers, including the talented Michael Rhodes, and the legendary Chris Carlsson, we built Streetsblog San Francisco into a successful advocacy news site that I’m proud to say has influenced transportation policy in San Francisco. Our stories are constantly sourced by mainstream media reporters, and we have amassed a loyal following of thousands of daily readers, whose intelligence and passion is on display in the comments section.

Beyond our success influencing the mainstream narrative, we have also worked behind the scenes to help advocates get real change on the streets. That’s why the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition honored us with a Golden Wheel Award last year. Accepting the award, and giving a speech before hundreds of movers and shakers in the bike movement, was one of my proudest moments as the editor of Streetsblog San Francisco.

The outreach and relationships we maintained was key. We were definitely not producing just a blog. Combined with our national coverage from Sarah Goodyear and Angie Schmitt at the Streetsblog Network and Tanya Snyder at Streetsblog D.C., Damien Newton’s tireless work at Streetsblog L.A. and the steady stream of wonderful Streetfilms (from transportation super heroes Clarence Eckerson, Elizabeth Press and Robin Smith in New York, and by our local filmmaking genius John Hamilton), we produced what I think became the most prominent sustainable transportation news site in the Bay Area.

I owe a great deal of thanks to all of you. You are part of my success story. There’s no way I could have done this without you. Thank you for coming back to the blog every day and donating when we needed it most.

OpenPlans, the parent non-profit of Streetsblog, is committed to keeping the blog going, and my colleague Ben Fried in New York will have a separate post on the future of Streetsblog San Francisco.

I’m going to miss all of you, but I take pride in the fact that Streetsblog San Francisco flourished under my leadership, and that I had a good run.

You can add this to our list of the world’s best music videos featuring bicycles. Rapper Breezee One’s “Bike Chase” is a homage to bicycles and “bike boyfriends.” It’s the first single release for Detroit’s “Diva-Licious-MC,” and perhaps the best bike video of the year?

On that note, Streetsblog San Francisco is taking a long weekend off. I’ll see you back here on Tuesday. Enjoy the video and have a great Labor Day weekend!

H/T Clarence Eckerson.

Looking for a job? Here are this week’s listings:

Ruby on Rails developer, Social Bicycles
Help build the world’s most innovative public bike sharing system. Looking for experienced Rails developers to build our operator and consumer web portal. Short-term contract work or full-time positions with equity are both available.

Transportation Demand Program Manager, City of Santa Monica, CA
Spearheads development and implementation of the City’s aggressive approach in the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) of the General Plan to reduce auto trips through a range of measures, to maximize use of parking resources, and to lead the formation and ongoing implementation of Transportation Demand Districts throughout the City.

Senior Multi-Modal Planner, San Francisco MTA
The Senior Multi-Modal Planner is responsible for managing transportation planning projects toward the development of integrated multi-modal systems (pedestrian, bicycle, bicycle sharing, car/ride sharing, parking, intelligent transportation systems, travel demand management, transit, taxi and goods movement loading) plans.

Multi-Modal Planner, San Francisco MTA
The Multi-Modal Planner is responsible for providing technical assistance and support to project managers in the development of integrated multi-modal systems (pedestrian, bicycle, bicycle sharing, car/ride sharing, parking, intelligent transportation systems, travel demand management, transit, taxi and goods movement loading) plans.

Planning Magazine Contributor, UrbDeZine
Urbdezine.com is the fastest growing professional network for urban design and development professionals. If you are an urban planner, designer, or architect, and are actively involved in your field, we want to hear from you.

Community and Regional Planner, Nashville Area MPO
The Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), the regional transportation policy, planning, and programming agency for the greater Nashville region, is looking for an enthusiastic, hard-working, and skilled professional to help advance several regional initiatives in Middle Tennessee.

Transportation Student Professional Worker, Los Angeles Department of City Planning
The Los Angeles Department of City Planning seeks two student professional workers (SPWs) for the update of the Mobility Element of the General Plan. These paid positions are available from fall 2011 to summer 2012.

Deputy Director for Technology Services, San Francisco County Transportation Authority
The Deputy Director for Technology Services directs all activities related to technology services within the Authority, including transportation modeling, graphics and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), website design and maintenance, multi-media communications and general information technology support.

Thanks to the generous support of PUBLIC Bikes, I’m thrilled to announce that Streetsblog reader Soren Peterson will soon be riding a new bicycle. He was randomly picked as the winner of our latest PUBLIC Bikes contest. Congratulations Soren, and thank you for your donation!

I also want to give a big shout out to PUBLIC Bikes for being a consistent supporter of Streetsblog San Francisco. Thank you PUBLIC Bikes! I would encourage you to visit their lovely shop in South Park and tell ‘em Streetsblog sent ya!

We will be working diligently over the next few months to raise the critical funds we need for the rest of 2011 and beyond.

Please keep the donations coming in so we can continue producing high-impact advocacy journalism.

Thanks also to Mike’s Bikes for recently signing on as one of our first advertisers. Their support has also been key.

Thank you again for your donations, and have a great 4th of July weekend!

All the best,
Bryan

Donate $25 or more right now and qualify to win a beautiful new PUBLIC Bike. Photo courtesy of PUBLIC Bikes.

We’re entering the final hours of our summer fundraising campaign and we really need your help to meet our goal!

If you value the high-impact advocacy journalism we produce at Streetsblog San Francisco, please donate $50, $100 or $1,000 right now to help us raise $25,000 by midnight tomorrow.

Just yesterday, we brought you the surprising and disappointing news that the city is killing a planned road diet for Cesar Chavez Street. Our recent coverage of one of SoMa’s most dangerous intersections has elevated the discussion on much-needed improvements for that neighborhood. My interview with the Mayor earlier this year helped make protected bikeways on Fell and Oak streets a priority for the SFMTA.  Those are just some of many high-impact stories we’ve recently produced at Streetsblog San Francisco.

• Donate $10 or more and you’ll qualify to win a copy of Jan Gehl’s inspiring book, “Cities for People.”
• Donate $25 or more and you’ll qualify to win a beautiful new PUBLIC Bike.
• Donate $100 or more and I will call you to talk about livable streets issues and get your story ideas.
• Donate $500 or more and I will personally meet with you.

For those of you who have already donated, thank you! Here’s what some of our donors are saying about Streetsblog San Francisco:

“You’re continually asking the questions: “What are our streets for?” “How can they be better for people?” Asking the questions demands answers and spurs action. Thank you!” -E.S.

“I support Streetsblog because it is by far the best news source for not only local news relating to transportation and urban growth that impacts my everyday life biking to work and enjoying the streets of San Francisco, but also national and federal government news that will impact my lifestyle in the future. Thank you for the excellent reporting.” -K.M.

“SF-specific transit/bike coverage I don’t find anywhere else. Thanks!” -H.L.

Please get your donation in right now to help us reach our goal by tomorrow at midnight!

Thank you,
Bryan

Photo courtesy of PUBLIC Bikes

As we enter the final week of our summer fundraising push, Streetsblog San Francisco and PUBLIC Bikes are giving our readers one more opportunity to win a new bicycle, while supporting your online voice for more livable streets. Our last PUBLIC Bike contest was a great success and this time we’re hoping even more people will donate and qualify to win.

Donate $25 to Streetsblog San Francisco right now and you’ll qualify to win a new PUBLIC V7 or PUBLIC C7 bike.

PUBLIC Bikes ride like butter, and they’re “comfortable enough for everyday trips for casual riders and reliable enough to be your everyday, rain or shine, commuter workhorse.” PUBLIC has been a Streetsblog supporter since the company was founded one year ago and you’re invited to a party July 9th to mark their first anniversary.  You’re also encouraged to stop by their lovely shop in South Park.

Please support high-impact advocacy journalism by donating $25 or more to Streetsblog San Francisco, and help us reach our summer fundraising goal by midnight Thursday! We’ll announce the winner Friday morning.

Thank you PUBLIC Bikes for supporting Streetsblog, and thank you in advance for your donation!

All the best,
Bryan

Posting on Streetsblog gets the word out about your job opening to a national audience of professionals and advocates who are committed to moving cities toward a more sustainable future.

Each month, nearly 200,000 unique visitors come to Streetsblog, making us the most watched transportation and planning news source in America, according to the web analytics site Alexa.com. A job listing posted on Streetsblog will reach a targeted and educated audience:

• 41 percent of our readers have advanced degrees
• We have a strong following among professionals in the public and private sectors who specialize in bike and pedestrian planning, transit planning, urban design, parking management, and the intersection of transportation and technology
• We’re widely read by non-profits working for safer streets, smart growth, and more sustainable transportation
• Our readership ranges from students and professionals at the outset of their careers to top executives and experienced managers

The price for a job listing on Streetsblog, which will be highlighted on all of our sites, is $50. Early adopters get a 100 percent discount: Our first 40 listings are free.

If you’re searching for a job, it’s easy to browse our database for openings in your field. (We have ten listings in five cities — and counting — as we go to press.)

As an independent, not-for-profit news source, we’re also excited about the jobs board as one more way to diversify the way we fund Streetsblog and support the work we do. Try it out and if you have any feedback on how we can improve it, please drop us a line at tips@streetsblog.org.

Photo courtesy of PUBLIC Bikes

I’m really happy to report that our 48-hour PUBLIC Bikes contest was a success. The winner of our random drawing picked this morning chose to remain anonymous, but we know she’s going to love her new PUBLIC Bike and we wish her the very best. Congratulations!

Over the last two days Streetsblog San Francisco readers contributed a total of nearly $4,000 for a chance to win a PUBLIC Bike. Thank you! We still need to reach the $25,000 mark by June 30th, though, so if you haven’t donated please consider supporting your online voice for more livable streets.

Also, special thanks to PUBLIC Bikes! We’re thrilled to have their support, and would like to remind everyone that they’re throwing a party July 9th to mark their one-year anniversary. Streetsblog readers are invited to attend. You’re also encouraged to stop by their shop in South Park, where they’re offering a free u-lock and any rack with any bike purchase until Father’s Day.

Photo courtesy of PUBLIC Bikes

Donate $50 to Streetsblog San Francisco and you could be riding a brand new PUBLIC Bike tomorrow! The San Francisco company has been a big supporter of Streetsblog SF since they were founded one year ago, and they’ve offered to give one lucky reader who donates $50 or more by midnight tonight a new PUBLIC V7 or PUBLIC C7 bike. Donate $50 or more right now and qualify to win a beautiful PUBLIC Bike!

We’ll announce the winner tomorrow morning. To continue producing the high-impact advocacy journalism you read on Streetsblog San Francisco, we need to raise $25,000 from our readers by the end of June. Please support your online voice for more livable streets by donating right now!

Thank you PUBLIC Bikes, and thank you in advance for your donations!

All the best,
Bryan

Photo courtesy of PUBLIC Bike.

To celebrate their one-year anniversary, and help boost our month-long fundraising push, PUBLIC Bikes has generously offered to bestow a brand new PUBLIC V7 or PUBLIC C7 bicycle on a lucky Streetsblog San Francisco reader who donates a minimum of $50 by midnight tomorrow.

Donate $50 or more right now and you’ll qualify to win a beautiful new PUBLIC Bike that you could be riding by Wednesday!

“We’re really proud that PUBLIC has supported Streetsblog San Francisco since the company launched last year,” said Dan Nguyen-Tan of PUBLIC Bikes. And we’ve been grateful for PUBLIC’s support!

The San Francisco company is throwing a party July 9th to mark its one-year anniversary and Streetsblog readers are invited to attend. You’re also encouraged to stop by their lovely shop in South Park, where they’re offering a free u-lock and any rack with any bike purchase until Father’s Day!

Thank you PUBLIC Bikes for supporting Streetsblog, and thank YOU for donating!

All the best,
Bryan

We need your support to make Streetsblog San Francisco an even stronger voice for a more livable San Francisco. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $1,000 or whatever you can to elevate this important platform for making our city more livable.

Streetsblog San Francisco’s drumbeat of pedestrian, bicycle and transit stories have helped keep important sustainable transportation issues on the radar of policy makers, many of whom have told us they rely on Streetsblog for coverage. A few examples of our impact over the last year:

• Our critical stories on pedestrian safety issues helped move the Mayor’s Office to adopt targets and dates for reducing pedestrian injuries and deaths. “The Streetsblog article helped move all of us along, gave us goals to reach with the Executive Directive, and added voices to the call for improved pedestrian safety,” said Cheryl Brinkman of the SFMTA Board of Directors.
• Our interview with the Mayor in January elevated the discussion on protected bikeways on Fell and Oak Streets. Working with bike advocates, the SFMTA is currently planning a trial protected bikeway on three blocks of Fell Street.
• The SFMTA is working to speed up funding for improvements on Masonic Boulevard after another Streetsblog interview with the Mayor.
• Streetsblog has provided critical and comprehensive coverage of the need to reform parking policy, and Level of Service (LOS) standards, something mainstream media outlets rarely cover.

We can’t do this kind of high-impact advocacy journalism without your support. Please consider a donation to Streetsblog San Francisco today, and help us raise $25,000 by June 30th.

Thank you!

Bryan

Photo: Myleen Hollero/Orange Photography

I’ve got spring fever, so I’m taking a much-deserved one week break from producing Streetsblog San Francisco, along with my colleague Aaron Bialick. I look forward to spending a lot of time on my bicycle and at the beach! Have a great week and we’ll see you back here on April 11th.

Disqus is a popular commenting platform and you’ve probably seen it on other sites already. If you’re new to Disqus, here’s how it’s going to change things at Streetsblog San Francisco.

• Threaded comments: You can now reply directly to someone else and have your reply appear indented below the original comment, instead of adding your thoughts at the bottom of the thread. The idea is to make it easier to track different discussions within a single comment thread. To reach a happy medium where the discussion doesn’t get too fragmented, we have the system set up to allow one level of replies, but not more than that. (So we won’t have endlessly indented threads delving into ever-more-off-topic digressions.)
• Your identity: Disqus has some nice features that allow you to link your identity on Streetsblog to your accounts on social networking sites. You can now create an account with Disqus or use your Facebook, Twitter or Google accounts to identify yourself when you comment here. Your photo from this account will be pulled in beside your comment and other readers will know where they can look you up online. If you want to post anonymously, you still can. We have never and will never share your email or IP address with anyone else.
• No more LivableStreets.com: Now that we have these better ways for commenters to identify themselves, we are going to finish shutting down livablestreets.com, where we’ve been hosting personal accounts for readers to share a little bit about themselves. A number of readers use those profiles to post comments here, but this is largely redundant given the integration between Disqus and other social networking platforms. If you have a livablestreets.com account, you will be receiving more information on this shutdown before it happens.
• Adding images: You can now insert images into your comments. Once you start typing, you’ll see the “add image” button appear on the bottom left corner of the comment text box.
• Liking and flagging: If you think another reader’s comment is spot-on, or is a nice addition to the discussion, you can now “like” it. The new system also lets readers help moderate the comments. If you read a comment that you believe should be removed, click the flag icon and a site editor will be notified. We do not want this feature to morph into a way to negatively rate comments that people disagree with, so here are three questions to ask before you flag a comment: Is it spam? Is it a personal attack? Is it hopelessly off-topic? If it falls into any of those categories, go ahead and flag it. If not, please leave it be.
• Sorting: Streetsblog’s comment threads have always shown the oldest comments first. That will still be the default setting, but now you can choose to organize them so that the newest ones, or the most “liked” ones, are the first ones you see.

Since Streetsblog New York launched Disqus earlier this week, there have been a few changes based on reader feedback.  There are bound to be more hiccups as we settle in to this new system. Please report any bugs to tips@sf.streetsblog.org.

If you’d like to give us feedback on the new system and how you think Streetsblog can make the most out of the Disqus features, please leave us a comment below.

Photo: Troy Holden

Streetsblog San Francisco is taking a much-deserved two-week break. I wish you all the happiest of holidays. Also, best wishes to my colleague Matthew Roth as he moves on to new adventures. I’ll be back after New Year’s just in time for our second anniversary, ready to provide another year of livable streets coverage.