Business Advocate of the Year Award

This award has been given to a business, corporation or corporate employee who have constantly championed the cause of bicycling and walking advocacy. The time, money, and energy they have invested have been evidence of their commitment to promoting bicycling and walking for healthier communities and sustainable transportation choices. Click here to see past winners of the Business Advocate of the Year.

Innovation Award

The Innovation Award has been given to organizations that have implemented creative and innovative campaigns in regards to biking and walking issues and advocacy.

2013: Local Spokes

The Local Spokes Coalition has certainly been leading the way in advocacy innovation. Their fearless approach to creating community partnerships has created a model for cities across North America.

Comprised of nine organizations working on various issues in New York City, including Alliance members Transportation Alternatives and Recycle-A-Bicycle, Local Spokes has shown the power of starting conversations without an agenda and letting community members lead the way. Working in New York’s Lower East Side and Chinatown neighborhoods, the coalition spent several years working to “engage, understand and advocate for the community's various perspectives on cycling through multilingual outreach, public participation activities and a Youth Ambassadors program.” The result was a Neighborhood Action Plan released in May of 2012, and continued resource development to aid work in other underserved communities.

2012: BikeTexas

BikeTexas continues to cultivate new and effective models in working effectively with the full spectrum political perspectives and full range of community stakeholders. Thanks in part to its traveling bicycle fleet, BikeTexas has organized rides with policymakers, agency staff and nonprofit organizations that have cultivated important political relationships and built bridges with new constituencies, including a 2011 President's Award from the state NAACP for "going above and beyond the call of duty to develop interest in biking and green benefits from biking in the African American Community."

2011: Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling

In 2010, the Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling released a groundbreaking new resource: Guide to Reviewing Public Road Design and Bicycling Accommodations for Virginia Bicycling Advocates. The 28-page booklet simplifies and streamlines the confusing road design process with easy-to-follow flow charts, handy check lists and explanations that make sense to folks who don't have a masters degree in urban planning.

Almost immediately, FABB's innovative guide was in high demand. Over the past six months, it has been widely distributed, well received by both advocates and transportation officials, and now FABB advocates are working on a template that other organizations can use to tailor the guide for their specific states and transportation jurisdictions.

2010: Toronto Cyclists Union-Newcomer Cycling Project

Toronto Cyclists Union was honored with the 2010 Innovation of the Year Award for their Newcomer Cycling Project in Toronto, Ontario. The Newcomer Cycling Project promoted bicycling in an inclusive and friendly manner by speaking to recent immigrants in their own language.

In partnership with CultureLink, Toronto Cyclists Union has produced promotional posters in the 15 most commonly spoken languages, produced a bi-lingual bicycling handbook, and is providing mentorship to groups in various cities in hopes of delivering similar programs.

2009: Transportation Alternatives

Transportation Alternatives was honored with the 2009 Innovation Award for their Youth For Car Free Parks project in Brooklyn, New York.

Transportation Alternative’s campaign not only promoted bicycling and walking in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, but also found a way to directly involve community youth by choosing four Brooklyn high school students to lead the effort through a competitive summer-long internship. In addition to collecting 10,000 signed postcards for Mayor Bloomberg in favor of a car free park, these students took on emissions testing, meetings with elected officials, and a final march across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Best Practices Award

This Best Practice Award is given to an organization that exemplifies successful day-to-day operations and therefore serves as a model for other bicycling and walking organizations.

2011: Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

In 2010, countless individuals and a number of advocacy organizations drew information and inspiration from the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. The LACBC's City of Lightsinitiative elevated the conversation about "invisible cyclists" - men and women who ride bicycles but whose voices aren't heard and needs aren't acknowledged because of language or economic barriers. Through thoughtful outreach and, more importantly, true collaboration, the LACBC is changing the dialogue among city officials about urban planning, bringing new cyclists into the movement and, expanding the scope of the bike-ped movement to address critical issues of social and economic justice.

2010: Active Transportation Alliance

Chicago-based Active Transportation Alliance has been honored with the 2010 Best Practices Award for their outstanding efforts and results in regards to program growth, policy, and advocacy. As the largest biking and walking advocacy organization in the nation, Active Trans sets the bar high for other agencies to model.

Active Trans holds transparency and good business practices at a premium demonstrating that through operating professionally and responsibly, you can more effectively build a movement around biking, walking and transit. Active Trans has been instrumental in establishing peer-to-peer relationships within the Alliance and providing mentoring to smaller organizations. Their leadership and sharing of best practices is helping other organizations grow and succeed and is building a more effective movement nationally.

2009: Bicycle Colorado

Bicycle Colorado was honored with the 2009 Best Practice Award for its outstanding efforts and results in regards to program growth, policy, and advocacy.

After surpassing their goal of doubling their staff and budget, Bicycle Colorado went on to secure funding to promote bicycling on Colorado’s 25 designated scenic byways, to establish a Bicycle Education Fund to improve road safety, to grow the largest membership base of a state-wide bicycle advocacy organization in the U.S., and to create a coalition of event leaders from the largest bike events in Colorado.

Lifetime Achievement Award

2009: Randy Neufeld

Randy Neufeld, Chief Strategy Officer of the Active Transportation Alliance, President of America Bikes, and the founding chair of the Alliance for Biking and Walking was honored with the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Randy served as Executive Director of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (now the Active Transportation Alliance) from 1988 to 2004 before becoming its Chief Strategic Officer. His leadership has taken the organization from its roots as a small group of volunteers to its present state of organizational strength: a staff of 26, a budget of more than $1.5 million, more than 5,000 members, and a reputation locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally as a leading bicycle advocacy organization. As a founding member, he has also played a key role in the growth and success of the Alliance for Biking and Walking. His service on national boards, mentoring of advocacy leaders, and leadership on national strategy demonstrate Randy’s unwavering commitment to biking and walking advocacy.

2013: Barb Culp

Washington State has been ranked the best state for biking by the League of American Bicyclists for the past 5 years, and this is due in no small part to the influence and leadership of Barbara Culp.

Barb has been a leader in biking advocacy for decades. She has been executive Director of Bicycle Alliance of Washington twice, for a combined 13 years, as well as previously working for Cascade Bicycle Club as their education director and promoting bicycling and walking as commuter solutions at Seattle Children’s Hospital.

Her leadership has led to increased bicycle infrastructure in Washington, better education for all users of the road and increased communication between bicycle advocates and Washington DOT. Barb also served as a board member for the Alliance and was our Vice-Chair for many of those years, where her leadership helped us in our critical mission in strengthening and uniting local and state organizations. We will miss Barb as she retires and steps back from her leadership positions, but her legacy and impact will continue to inspire advocates in Washington State and across the continent.

Bicycling Magazine People's Choice Award

The Bicycling Magazine People’s Choice Award has been awarded to a state or local bike advocacy organization in recognition of exemplary work, executed within the past year, that has significantly improved bicycling. The People’s Choice winner has made a notable positive impact on bicycling and bicyclists in their community, whether through breaking ground on bike infrastructure or programs to make bicycling accessible to more people more often. Nominations were received through the Alliance for Biking & Walking, and the winner was decided by popular vote on Bicycling.com. Click here to see past winners of the Bicycling Magazine People's Choice Award.