Streetsblog

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blogging for a quick pep talk. Thanks to our generous and supportive readers, Streetsblog and Streetfilms are almost halfway to our goal of raising $30,000 by June 1. We've got two weeks left to raise $17,000 -- help us reach that target so we can keep making the case for designing cities and towns around people, not cars.

A lot is being made of the relationship between Streetsblog and Metro (aka Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority or MTA) after our post dismantling a Beverly Hills Courier "report" published yesterday.  The Beverly Hills Courier referred to L.A. Streetsblog as a "captive blog" of Metro and is now suggesting that everything we say is direct from the mouth of the MTA.  It's a level of confusion on the Courier's part that you might expect from commenters at Andrew Breitbart's Big Government website.

Remember the Times of London's "Cities Fit for Cycling" campaign? Earlier this year one of the most prominent dailies in the UK launched an all-out blitz to make bicycling safer in British cities, complete with a comprehensive policy platform. The campaign is for real: The Times is now getting London mayoral candidates on the record with their bike policy positions.

Our response to this denial of public information from Metro:

To celebrate the launch of our community page and columnist for Santa Monica, the Library Alehouse is sponsoring another day long fundraiser for Los Angeles Streetsblog on Tuesday, March 27.  Just like the event they held for us last year, all you have to do is show up and eat (or drink) anytime between 11 and 11 and 10% of the proceeds will go to the Streetsblog coffers to support our new writer in Santa Monica.

One of my favorite love poems of all times was written by the inestimable lover, Roger Rabbit.  To quote:

Just like the last week of the year is a great time to look back, the first week of the New Year is a great week to look forward.  Without further adieu, here are the things we expect to happen in the next 362 days.  As always, we break it down month-by-month.

Friends,

I'm pleased to announce that thanks to an outpouring of support these past two weeks, Streetsblog and Streetfilms are more than halfway to our goal of raising $25,000 by the end of the year. If you haven't given yet and you value the high-impact reporting and videos that we produce day in and day out, help put us over the top. As the headline suggests, we have another great item to give to a lucky donor this week.