Your Winners of the 2016 Bicyclists’ Choice Awards

Last week, we held our second annual Bicyclists’ Choice Awards and the celebration was a huge success! Hosted by Tracy Hadden Loh, the awards event brought together close to 150 excited and passionate bicyclists, advocates, WABA supporters, VIPs, and award winners to celebrate the amazing steps taken and achievements made in 2015 to make bicycling better in our region. Our amazing host this year, Tracy, is a WABA Member extraordinaire, Trails and Active Transportation Expert, Great Greater Washington contributor, and Rails to Trails Coalition Research Director. Tracy brought down the house when she got everyone in the crowd to do the bicycle wave. Thank you to everyone who came out to watch and support the awards show: the event could not have happened without you – your nominations, your votes and your interest in attending the event. The Bicyclists’ Choice Awards is an important opportunity for WABA to recognize the people and places in our region that make bicycling great, and we were so happy that many of you were a part of it. Continue reading to find out who won and to see photos from the event.

We are pleased to announce the nominees and winners of the publicly-chosen Bicyclists’ Choice Awards:

Nominees for the Best Improvement for Biking in 2015 in the District of Columbia:

Mayor Bowser’s Vision Zero Action Plan
Installation of rubber parking barriers along the Pennsylvania Ave cycletrack
Breaking ground on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail’s extension north to Maryland through Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
The Extension of the First St NE protected bike lane to Union Station

Winner: The Extension of the First St NE protected bike lane to Union Station

District Department of Transportation accepts the award for Best Improvement for Biking in 2015 in the District of Columbia.

Nominees for the Best Improvement for Biking in 2015 in Maryland:

Capital Bikeshare expansion in Maryland
Governor Hogan’s support for the Capital Crescent Trail’s extension from Bethesda to Silver Spring with the Purple Line
Construction of Montgomery County’s first protected bike lane on Woodglen Drive
Snow removal on the Capital Crescent Trail by Montgomery County

Winner: Governor Hogan’s support for the Capital Crescent Trail’s extension from Bethesda to Silver Spring with the Purple Line

Accepting the award for Best Improvement for Biking in 2015 in Maryland on behalf of the Governor’s office and the Maryland Department of Transportation was Charles Glass, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy Analysis and Planning.

Nominees for the Best Improvement for Biking in 2015 in Virginia:

Saving the Arlington bike program budget
Construction of the Potomac Yard Trail
Repairing and resurfacing the Custis Trail
Snow removal on Arlington County trails

Winner: Construction of the Potomac Yard Trail

Accepting the award on behalf of the City of Alexandria is Yon Lambert, The City of Alexandria’s Director of Transportation and Environmental Services. Director Lambert was the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager when the Potomac Yard Trail project was developed.

Accepting the award on behalf of the City of Alexandria was Yon Lambert, The City of Alexandria’s Director of Transportation and Environmental Services. Director Lambert was the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager when the Potomac Yard Trail project was developed.

Nominees for the Bike Friendliest Neighborhood or Business Improvement District in 2015:

The Ballston/Clarendon neighborhoods in Virginia
Brookland in Washington DC
Crystal City, VA
Downtown, Washington DC

Winner: The Downtown DC Business Improvement District

Accepting the award on behalf of the Downtown BID is Ellen Jones, the Downtown Business Improvement District’s Director of Infrastructure.

Accepting the award on behalf of the Downtown BID was Ellen Jones, the Downtown Business Improvement District’s Director of Infrastructure.

Nominees for the Best Bike Shop in 2015:

BicycleSPACE
Bikenetic
Spokes Etc
The Bike Rack

Winner: The Bike Rack

Accepting the award for The Bike Rack was Walker Wilkson and Nick Kwasigroch of The Bike Rack.

Nominees for the Best Social Ride in 2015:

The Bikenetic Sunday Coffee Ride
Slow Roll DC
The BicycleSPACE Hills of Anacostia Ride
DC Bike Party

Winner: The BicycleSPACE Hills of Anacostia Ride

Accepting the award was Phil Koopmen, Co-Owner of BicycleSPACE, and BicycleSPACE staff.

Nominees for the Bike Friendliest Business in 2015:

District Taco
Filter Coffeehouse
Annie’s Ace Hardware
Java Shack

Winner: District Taco Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners of the Bicyclists’ Choice Awards.

We are pleased to announce and honor the winners of the WABA Awards:

The Biking for All Award: Miriam Kenyon, Director of Health and Physical Education for the DC Public School System

WABA’s Biking for All Award went to Miriam Kenyon for her leadership and innovation in creating and pushing forward the Biking in the Park program that will teach every second grader in the city’s public school system how to safely and enjoyably ride a bicycle.

Miriam Kenyon, Director of Health and Physical Education for the DC Public School System, accepts The Biking for All Award.

The Public Leadership Award: Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation

WABA’s Public Leadership Award went to the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation, for the county hiring its first Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, which will help them start down the path to improving bicycling county wide. We expect to see great things for bicycling in Prince George’s County in the near future. Accepting the award for the County was Mr. Vic Wiessberg, Special Assistant at Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation.

Accepting The Public Leadership Award on behalf of the County is Mr. Vic Wiessberg, Special Assistant at Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation.

The Future Trails Award: Tammy Stidham, National Park Service

WABA’s Future Trails Award went to Tammy Stidham, Chief of Planning, Compliance, and Geographic Information Systems for the National Park Service. We recognized Tammy with The Future Trails Award for her leadership role in moving the trails network forward at the National Park Service. Tammy has helped build crucial support for the Capital Trails Coalition, an emerging group of public, private and nonprofit organizations supporting a regional trails network. She is also leading the effort of the Park Service to update the 25 year old regional paved trails plan which will be finalized this year. And lastly she has provided oversight of the Georgetown Boathouse project which will bring a much improved trail head and access point for the Capital Crescent Trail.

Tammy Stidham, National Park Service, accepts The Future Trails Award.

The Community Organizer of the Year Award: Megan Jones

WABA’s Community Organizer of the Year Award went to Megan Jones, dedicated WABA Member and the organizer of the Hains Point 100 fundraiser bicycle event for WABA’s Women & Bicycles program. Megan received this award for her role in assessing where people power in our local bike movement is needed, and voluntarily moving and shaking to move people into those roles. Through her role on the Arlington BAC, Megan recruits and organizes advocates, she pulls more women into racing through her clinics, rides, and coaching with Team Sticky Fingers. And through her own organizing she’s fundraised more than $25,000 and over 1,500 people to ride thousands of laps around Hains Point to help continue our Women & Bicycles program.

Megan Jones accepts The Community Organizer of the Year Award.

The Advocate of the Year Award: Jeff Lemieux

WABA’s Advocate of the Year Award for 2015 went to Jeff Lemieux for his forthcoming WB&A concept & analysis that WABA will be releasing in the next few weeks, his extensive advocacy & writing on the College Park and Greenbelt Route One corridor, and for chairing the WABA Action Committee for Prince George’s County.

Jeff Lemieux accepts The Advocate of the Year Award.

The Take the Lane Award: Fairfax County Board of Supervisors

WABA’s Take the Lane Awards went to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors for the biggest single jump in bike lanes in one year. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors also recently voted to fund Bikeshare in Tysons. The passage of the County’s Bicycle Master Plan at the end of 2014 led to 2015 being the greatest number of bike lanes striped in one year. We also want to thank our colleagues at Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling for their hard work on this effort as well.

The Vision Zero Award: Leif Dormsjo, Director of the District Department of Transportation

WABA’s Vision Zero Award was presented to Leif Dormsjo, Director of the District Department of Transportation for his dedication to moving DC’s Vision Zero commitment forward and developing an action plan. Vision Zero is the commitment to end traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2024.