On Friday, I challenged readers to help us make a weekend fundraising goal of $2,500 and if we made it, I would do an AMA for our first podcast of 2026. We brought in just under $4,000, putting us just $5,000 shy of our $25,000 goal for December.
Well, I'm a writer of my word, so StreetSmart Season 2, Episode 1 will be an AMA. This will give supporters and readers a chance to ask questions about transportation policy, housing, climate, journalism, and what it takes to cover California’s transportation agencies from the inside. Email me your questions to damien@streetsblog.org, and I'll do my best to answer all of them within our podcast format.
But just because we made our weekend goal doesn't mean our drive is over. If you haven't donated and wish to help us out, please consider making a donation today.
Streetsblog California’s reporting focuses on how state and regional transportation decisions shape safety, equity, climate, health, and daily life. From Caltrans and the California Transportation Commission to regional MPOs and city streets, Streetsblog reporters spend countless hours tracking meetings, reading staff reports, and translating complex policy into plain language.
That work depends on reader support.
Unlike many media outlets, Streetsblog California relies heavily on individual donations to sustain its reporting. Fundraising drives like this one help pay for original journalism, editing, and the behind-the-scenes work that keeps coverage consistent and independent. Contributions also support the podcast and our short video channels which extends Streetsblog’s reporting beyond the written page and into broader conversations about how California moves.
The upcoming AMA is intended to pull back the curtain on both the journalism and the issues. Participants will be able to ask about current transportation fights, how stories are reported and edited, and where California policy debates are heading next — as well as how the podcast comes together week after week.
If Streetsblog California’s reporting has informed your advocacy, helped you understand a policy fight, or simply kept you up to date on what’s happening at the state level, now is a good time to support the work.
Donate today to support independent transportation journalism — and join us for a conversation about where California is headed next.
