Even after 51 weeks of reporting on NYC’s sustainable transportation and street safety scene, it’s still somewhat stunning to sit back and pore over the sheer volume of news that happened in the past year. 2010 was an epically bad year for transit riders, leavened by some important flashes of innovation. New York also saw historic progress on making streets safer for biking and walking, tempered by political pushback and a barrage of negative press.

To commemorate the best and worst of 2010, soon we’ll be posting our fourth annual year-end awards, the Streetsies. Right now we’ve got eight people’s choice categories for you to vote on — the polls are open until midnight on Sunday, December 27.

Before we sign off for the holiday weekend and get to the nominations, a few updates about developments that will help Streetsblog crank out your livable streets fix in 2011 and beyond:

• Our first pledge drive is in full swing until December 31 — just a few more days! Have you given yet? Your tax-deductible donation will provide invaluable support for Streetsblog NYC, directly funding high-impact reporting that sets the agenda for sustainable transportation and street safety policy.
• A big shout-out to the fine people at Bicycle Habitat for sponsoring our coverage. Check out the Bike Habitat ad on our sidebar and visit their shop on Lafayette Street — they’re open tomorrow and on Christmas Eve, in case you’re searching for something to give the cyclists (or prospective cyclists) in your life. If you’re interested in advertising on Streetsblog NYC, send an email to Vanessa Hamer at vhamer [at] openplans [dot] org.

And now, without further ado, your nominees for the 2010 Streetsies.