Thanks for joining us at the 2018 WABA and Bicyclists’ Choice Awards!

Held on February 8th at the Josephine Butler Parks Center, the 2018 Bicyclists’ Choice Awards were an incredible success! This is a favorite annual events because we get to celebrate the people who are making bicycling better in our community – not only our members, advocates and supporters, but our partners, elected leaders and decision makers. These awards recognized the momentum happening for bicycling in the region right now; we were honored to recognize these people and their work. This year, WABA received a record number of votes for the Bicyclists’ Choice Awards and hosted a record number of attendees. We also had the best host a bunch of bike nerds could hope for: Lauren Ober, of NPR and WAMU’s The Big Listen.  The energy in the room was absolutely electric – we can’t wait to do it again next year!  Thank you to everyone who attended, voted, nominated, and supported such an amazing evening. Continue reading to find out who won and to see photos from the event.  
Lauren Ober started the night off with her incredible story of surviving a crash, and working with WABA to fight for better laws for bicyclists.
Anna Irwin, and her daughter Avery accepting the award for Community Organizer of the Year.
The Vision Zero Award went to the City of Alexandria. Mayor Allison Silberberg accepted the award on the city’s behalf.
Winners of the Protecting Bike Lanes Award, DDOT Public Space Regulation Team: Matthew Marcou, Elliott Garrett, Levon Petrosian, and Director Marootian
Winner of the Protecting Bike Lanes Award, Jon Renaut.
Sterling Stone, Executive Director of Gearin’ Up Bicycles and some of the Gearin’ Up youth presented the Biking for All Award to the team at Phoenix Bikes.
Accepting the Biking For All Award on behalf of Phoenix Bicycles was Shop Manager, Edoardo Buenaobra, and Program Assistant, Raymond Duran.
Dan Helms won the Advocate of the Year award for his work leading an effort to change not only the trail crossing to a safer design, but the state law that protects bicyclists in crosswalks.
The Volunteer of the Year Award went to WABA in the Wild volunteers Lauren Anneberg and Michael Avilez.
Chief Sogand Seirafi received the Public Leadership Award for her work managing Planning and Design for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation. Chief Seirafi is on the streets and behind the scenes ensuring that innovative protected bike lanes are designed, engineered and installed safely.
Nelle Pierson, head of Communications and Community at JUMP Bikes presented the Bicyclists’ Choice Awards.
The winner of the Best Improvement for Biking in 2017 in the District of Columbia was the 15th Street protected bike lane extension to Euclid. Mike Goodno, Bicycle Program Specialist at DDOT, and DDOT engineer Sam Olatunji accepted the award on behalf of the DDOT team who made the 15th Street protected bike lane extension to Euclid a reality.
Best Improvement for Biking went to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission for the promulgation of new regulations to allow bike commuting after dark. Accepting the award on M-NCPPC’s behalf Commission were Chair of the Montgomery County planning board, Casey Anderson and Derick Berlage, Division Chief for Countywide Planning for the Prince George’s Planning.
Best Improvement for Biking in Virginia went to updates to highway funding bill eliminating penalties for bike projects! Accepting the award on behalf on the Virginia Bicycling Federation was Jim Durham, President of the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
Proteus Bicycles won Best Bike Shop in 2017! Accepting the award was Laurie Lemieux, owner of Proteus Bicycles.
Hains Point 100 won the 2017 Bicyclists’ Choice Awards Best Social Ride! Megan Jones, the event’s co-creator and great champion, brought together the most casual riders with some of our fastest roadies to get more women riding in the region. Accepting the award on Megan’s behalf was her co-creator Mark Blacknell.
Dew Drop Inn was the winner of this year’s Bike Friendliest Business award. Matt Szymanski and Nick McFarland accepted the award on Dew Drop Inn’s behalf.
Host for the evening, Lauren Ober delivered closing remarks, and accepted her award for Best WABA and Bicyclists’ Choice Awards Host of 2018.
Our friends at ToPromote.com delivered these special and fun awards for this year’s winners to have on their desks.
Our friends at ToPromote.com delivered these special and fun awards for this year’s winners to have on their desks.
Many thanks to this year’s presenting sponsor, JUMP Bikes for an incredible evening!
Special thanks to our friends at CAVA for being this year’s Celebration Sponsors, and feeding our hundreds of hungry WABA members!
Thanks to Caboose Brewing for giving our members and attendees amazing beer to keep the evening rolling!

WABA Award Winners

  • Community Organizer Award: Anna Irwin
  • Vision Zero Award: City of Alexandria (accepted by Mayor Allison Silberberg)
  • Protecting Bike Lanes Award: Jon Renaut & DDOT Public Space Regulation Team: Matthew Marcou, Elliott Garrett, and Levon Petrosian
  • Educator of the Year Award: Edgar Gil Rico
  • Biking for All Award: Phoenix Bikes (accepted by Edoardo Buenaobra and Raymond Duran)
  • Advocate of the Year Award: Dave Helms
  • Volunteer of the Year Award: Lauren Annenberg and Michael Avilez
  • Public Leadership Award: Chief Sogand Seirafi
 

Bicyclists’ Choice Awards Nominees

Best Improvement for Biking in the District of Columbia in 2017

  • Dockless Bikeshare
  • Oxon Run Trail
  • Bike to Work Day pit stop in Twining, Ward 7
  • Maine Avenue SW protected bike lanes
  • Klingle Valley Trail Opening
  • 15th St. protected bike lane extension to Euclid
Winner: 15th St. protected bike lane extension to Euclid

Best Improvement for Biking in Maryland in 2017

  • Silver Spring Circle
  • Trolley Trail Connector through Riverdale Park Station
  • HAWK Signals
  • M-NCPPC new regulations, allowing bike commuting after dark
Winner: Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission for the promulgation of new regulations to allow bike commuting after dark.

Best Improvement for Biking: Virginia

  • Alexandria’s commitment to Vision Zero
  • Underpass for Belmont Ridge Road on the W&OD trail
  • Four Mile Run Trail improvements
  • Updates to highway funding bill eliminating penalties for bike projects
Winner: Updates to highway funding bill eliminating penalties for bike projects

Best Bike Shop of 2017

  • Spokes, ETC.
  • Conte’s Bike Shop
  • CityBikes
  • BicycleSPACE
  • The Bike Rack
  • Proteus Bicycles
  • Gearin’ Up
  • Bikenetic
  • Big Wheel Bicycles
Winner: Proteus Bicycles

Best Social Ride of 2017

  • Hains Point 100
  • Ride to the Women’s March
  • Proteus Sunday Coffee ride
  • International Women’s Day Alleycat
  • BicycleSPACE City Explorers
  • Freezing Saddles
Winner: Hains Point 100

Bike Friendliest Business of 2017

  • VeloCafe
  • Bar Roubaix
  • Dew Drop Inn
  • Vigilante Coffee
  • Shortcake Bakery
  • Zeke’s Coffee
  • Mapbox
  • World Resources Institute
Winner: Dew Drop Inn Thank you again to everyone who came out and who made for such an incredible celebration! Of course, we want to say a huge thank you to our sponsors for supporting better bicycling in our region:

Presenting Sponsor: 

Celebration Sponsors: 

Page last updated by Laura Miller on February 26, 2018.