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See who has won an Alice Award in prior years .
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Michael Armstrong Michael ArmstrongMichael is the Deputy Director of Portland's Office of Sustainable Development. He manages the City's climate protection programs and advocates for creating world-class bicycle infrastructure as part of a vibrant, sustainable city. In 2008 he led the Office of Sustainable Development in its third consecutive Bike Commute Challenge win. Michael is a year-round commuter and makes nearly all of his work trips by bicycle. Michael's family sometimes heads out on their four-person tandem, and he inspired his 4- and 6-year old daughters to build their own tandem out of kiddie bikes. Wyatt BaldwinIn the fall of 2004, while living in a basement room, Wyatt Baldwin started building the byCycle.org trip planner, also known as “MapQuest for bikes.” The three-year project was completely unfunded, and all of Wyatt’s work and investment has been unpaid. Until very recently byCycle.org was the world’s only bike trip planner, and the idea of applying GIS tools and data to the problem of urban bicycling was still relatively new. Though Wyatt recently decided to get a paying job, he continues to work on byCycle.org when he can, and hopes that one day it is used in cities around the world so that travelers can hop on their bikes with confidence and ease no matter where they are. Blind PilotThe Portland band Blind Pilot has given new meaning to the phrase “on tour.” In order to reach little towns that do not normally get attention from touring bands, to promote their new album and to promote a more sustainable way of life, they toured the west coast last year entirely by bike. Without a bus or a sag wagon, Ryan Dobrowski and Israel Nebeker led the band, their gear and a giant wooden trailer holding their upright bass from Bellingham to San Diego (with a stop in Portland for BridgePedal), setting a good example all the way. Eleanor BlueFor years, Elly Blue has been a major force in Portland’s bike movement: as a contributor to Shift, an early founder of Umbrella (a non-profit that supports grassroots events with permitting and insurance), the organizer of Car Free Days, and a participant in the transition to a car-free Last Thursday. Elly successfully recruited and hosted the Towards Car Free Cities International Conference in 2008, along with the hundreds of leaders, planners, urban designers and activists from around the world who attended. Now a reporter for BikePortland.org, Elly continues to raise the level of discourse in Portland’s bike movement. Gary BonackerGary Bonacker was there when Sunnyside Sports was founded in Bend in 1972, and has helped make it a center for recreational and commuting bicycling in Central Oregon. Gary shares his knowledge and skills freely, helping other bicyclists become more confident home mechanics and better riders. He has contributed to Bend’s reputation as a hotbed of great cycling events, helping launch the Cascade Cycling Classic in 1980 and the Tour des Chutes in 2005 (the latter has raised about $200,000 for cancer treatment). Gary is undaunted by snow, and sets the bar high with his 100% year-round bike commuting dedication. Porter ChildsPorter is a visionary thinker who has truly invented a new kind of cycling event for Portland – the short, quirky urban ride that is fun for beginning cyclists and veterans alike. The Worst Day of the Year Ride, the Night Ride, MTB Oregon, the Portland Century, Tour de Lab, the Hottest Day Ride…these events have brought thousands of people into the bicycling community. Porter employs an amazing staff, and engages hundreds of volunteers. Through all of this he has retained a commitment to supporting local advocacy and creating new assets, never seeking attention for himself or his company. Francine ChinitzFrancine Chinitz works for Ecos Consulting in Portland, where she is admired by her coworkers as the “Biking Queen.” For four years she has worked tirelessly to support bike commuters with lighthearted events, competitions, rides and rewards. During the 2008 Bike Commute Challenge, Francine encouraged veteran commuters to “mentor” new riders, signed up 26 brand new bike commuters, and raised funds for the BTA with every bike trip in September. With her infectious enthusiasm and her gentle approach she is helping new people find confidence and joy on a bike every year. Catherine CiarloDuring Catherine Ciarlo’s seven years as the BTA’s Executive Director, she grew the organization from a fledgling group of smart cycling activists to a mature and respected voice for bicycling. She helped the BTA expand its membership from less than 1,000 to more than 4,000, implement a nationally recognized Bicycle Education curriculum, and develop a proactive and successful legislative agenda. After leaving the BTA in such great condition, Catherine joined the Portland Planning Commission and the Cycle Oregon board of directors; most recently, Catherine has returned to work for sustainable transportation as an advisor to Mayor Sam Adams. Clackamas County Bike Map TeamClackamas County is one of the most geographically and scenically diverse counties in Oregon, with many recreational opportunities, yet until last year had no current bike map to give to residents and visitors. The new map jumps light years from the quality of the old map, produced 14 years ago, with waterproof, tear resistant paper, clear classification of bike routes, mountain bike trails, and recommended recreational rides. The members of the team – Scott Hoelscher, Lori Mastrantonio, and Jim Lugosi – have given Clackamas residents a great tool to enjoy their communities by bike and envision making them even better. Clackamas County WES Capacity Management TeamIn 2006, an arsonist set fire to the 82nd Drive/Park Place Bike and Pedestrian Bridge across the Clackamas River between Gladstone and Oregon City. The bridge was closed to bicyclists and pedestrians for nearly three years. In 2008, the Water Environment Services department at Clackamas County succeeded in repairing and opening the bridge, which also carries a major wastewater pipeline, restoring this lovely and important car-free connection between the two communities. Clever CyclesClever Cycles is the only bike shop in Portland where cycling fast consistently takes a back seat to cycling in a suit, in the rain, with your kid, and a full load of groceries. In other words, Clever Cycles focuses on the way Portlanders increasingly ride their bikes – to school, to the farmers market, to the bar, to church, to work. The owners have become a terrific resource for family bicycling gear and information, and through donations, loans, sponsorships, and quirky events they are helping Portland become one of the world’s great cycling cities. Kim CurleyKim Curley is the Commute Options community outreach coordinator, and recently took on coordination of Safe Routes To School programs in six Bend elementary schools. She brings more enthusiasm and dedication to her job than many do to their favorite hobbies, and every year her influence grows. In 2008, she developed biking and walking programs for kids, directed International Walk + Bike to School Day, coordinated bike safety rodeos, reached out to more than 90 businesses and helped them reduce their car trips, and led the Healthy Active Central Oregon Coalition. Roger GellerIn 1994, Roger Geller took a part-time position as Portland’s Bicycle Program Specialist. In the years since, he has expanded the bikeway network, piloted shared lane markings and bikeway signage, and collected the best data on bike ridership of any US city; more recently, he helped place green bike boxes at dangerous intersections and helped design an innovative solution for the Rose Quarter Transit Center. He has raised more than $2 million through outside grant sources and has started an energizing Bicycle Master Plan Update. Fifteen years after signing on, he often works sixty-hour weeks and still brings the same indefatigable passion to the job. Mark GinsbergMark Ginsberg occupies a unique place in the bike community, working with powerful decision-makers as well as everyday bicyclists who find themselves caught in the grey area between police enforcement and the word of the law. During the day, Mark is an attorney, focusing on bicycle law, and he takes on many cases pro-bono, representing people who would otherwise not be represented by a knowledgeable attorney. Outside of work he races, serves on Portland’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (until recently as its Chair), supports bike culture, and raises two young future bicyclists of his own. Angela GoldsmithAngela Goldsmith is an everyday bike commuter who has taught each of her three daughters to bike to school as they have grown up. In the summer of 2008, Angela took her passion to a broader audience and started a Bike Bus for the Metropolitan Learning Center in NW Portland. She organizes families, trains parents, maps out routes and keeps the daily Bike Bus on schedule. Ten children and their parents get to school this way regularly, and a partnership with REI and local businesses will grow the program further. Angela hopes to add more field trips and more schools to the Bus’s rounds in the future. Robert GooteeRobert Gootee is the highest-ranking corporate executive commuting by bicycle in Portland. As the president and chief executive officer of The ODS Companies, he leverages public investments in bike routes with his own private initiative to make ODS and Portland better places for bike commuters. In the ODS Tower downtown, on prime ground floor retail space, Robert has constructed ample secure bike parking, luxurious showers, and locker rooms to match. Robert broadcasts his commitment to public health through active transportation in his corporate giving, his investments in bike facilities, and his leadership among other Oregon businesspeople. Shawn GrantonPortland’s bike culture would not be nearly as fun and fascinating without the contributions of Shawn Granton, such as his Pedal Potluck Picnics, Urban Adventure League activities (like the Palm Tree Ride and the Dead Freeway Ride) and engaging artwork that graces only the luckiest posters, maps, and magazines. Through his day-job at the Hawthorne Hostel, he greets visitors, orients them to fun and comfortable biking in Portland, and ensures that they leave raving about the incredible city they’ve discovered with his help. Much of his work is done for free, just for the delight it brings him and others. Melanie Plies and Kollibri Terre SonnenblumeMelanie Plies and Kollibri Sonnenblume tie together all the pieces of sustainability by using private backyards, front yards, and small urban lots to grow organic food, and then transporting shares of the produce to investors using a bicycle with a heavy-duty trailer. Their partnership is Sunroot Gardens, a competitive CSA run entirely within the city of Portland and almost entirely without fossil fuels. Officer Robert PickettThe pink squeaky-pig on Robert Pickett’s handlebars is a good indicator of how seriously he takes himself. But it belies how seriously he takes his job. Officer Pickett advocated for, staffed, and coordinated the SE Bike Patrol for years, and more recently he has used both his personal time and some of his flexible professional time doing the subtle, behind-the-scenes, relationship-based work that has contributed to good partnerships between the bike community and the Portland Police. From his seat on the Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee, in the forums at BikePortland.org, and in countless private conversations and meetings he has taken nuanced, intelligent positions, leading reasonable people on both sides of an issue to a place of understanding. Portland Water BureauIn 2007, concerned about bicyclists’ safety around right-turning trucks, the Portland Water Bureau mandated that all city vehicles bound for the Water Bureau facility refrain from turning onto N Wheeler Ave. in order to minimize risks to bicyclists. An Eye-to-Eye safety event in the fall of 2008 gave cyclists and truck drivers the opportunity to examine one another’s vehicles and, more importantly, their blind spots. The Bureau also promoted bicycling to its own employees through a bike buddy program and in 2008 placed second in their category in the Bike Commute Challenge. Walt PrichardWalt has served the Mid Valley Bicycle Club and the greater bicycling community for years as an advocate for safer and more enjoyable bicycling in Corvallis and Benton County. He has spoken up when transportation plans were being considered, reminding planners of the need to provide for bicycling on all roadways. He helped head off the potential elimination of a bike lane in Albany in 2008. He organizes cyclists to speak up for their interests, keeps Club members informed through the his newsletter column, and faithfully reports back to the Benton County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Joanne PullenJoanne rode her bike to work every day in 2008, six miles each way, a feat that has inspired her husband to no end. She started during the Bike Commute Challenge four years ago and, supported by her husband, her coworkers, and Kaiser Permanente’s nice lockers and showers, she has become completely addicted. She and her husband, parents of two grown children, put less than 6,000 total miles on their two cars. She describes her morning commute as the time to prepare herself mentally for the day ahead and appreciate the positive elements of life: her family, career, and the opportunity to live in a great city like Portland. Tom RalleyTom Ralley is a “supervolunteer” who reliably contributes in a multitude of ways but never accepts credit for himself. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Community Cycling Center, a member of the Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee, a Bike Safety Education volunteer, a Portland bike count volunteer, and a contributor to numerous events and causes every year. At Lent Elementary School, he has taught Bike Safety Club for several years and provides bike repair for students, parents, and staff on Friday afternoons. His dedication to children’s cycling make him an incredible asset and an inspiration to Portland’s grown up bicyclists. Shane RhodesShane Rhodes’ work promoting active transportation in the Eugene 4J School District and at Roosevelt Middle School has shown results. With his leadership, participation in Walk + Bike to School Day grew from 10 Eugene schools to over 25 in 2008, with over 70% of Roosevelt students participating. He installed a helmet counter, at no cost, for Roosevelt students; as a result, bike ridership approaches 10% of students, with unprecedented helmet compliance. Shane is an active ambassador within and outside of the Safe Routes to School community, is a leader within the Greater Eugene Area Riders advocacy and education non-profit, contributes to Kidical Mass activities, and brings a winning blend of professionalism, compassion, and creativity to all of his projects. River View CemeteryRiver View Cemetery’s private roads are a steep climb but a beautiful, quiet connection for bicyclists between the Sellwood Bridge and Lewis & Clark College. The only alternate route is Taylor’s Ferry Rd., which is high-speed, high-traffic, and has no bike lanes or shoulders. The River View staff & board have kept this private road open for public use despite conflicts between some fast-moving cyclists and cemetery staff and visitors. Recently, they even allowed the "Tour de Lab" bike ride to travel through their property as part of the event. Rose Quarter Bike Lane Project TeamFor years, traversing the Rose Quarter Transit Center by bike was illegal; the legal route involved extra distance, waits at red lights, an acute-angle track crossing, an unsafe crosswalk transition, and a left turn that required merging across two auto lanes. As a result, many bicyclists cut – illegally – through the Center. In 2008, concerned about bike-bus conflicts and risks to bicyclists, TriMet’s General Manager Fred Hansen asked his staff to work with the City of Portland and the BTA to figure out how to get bikes safely through the center within the year. With help from multiple departments at TriMet and the City of Portland, the team developed a great solution that was implemented in October, and a big barrier to comfortable, safe cycling in Portland was removed. Brad RossThe Cross Crusade Cyclocross Series started more than two decades ago and has been growing ever since, with record-setting participation in 2008 and an especially strong showing in the women and youth categories. Directed by Brad Ross, the race series welcomes beginners and pros alike, even giving kids a chance to try the sport, and exudes a fun, irreverent and supportive vibe. Brad’s leadership has helped put Portland and Oregon on the map for cross racers worldwide, and has given bike racing a new – if muddy – face in Portland. Stephanie Routh*Stephanie Routh is the President of Umbrella, which provides financial and administrative support to grassroots bike-related events that might not happen otherwise. In 2008, together with Elly Blue and others, Stephanie recruited and hosted the Towards Carfree Cities International Conference, and for years she has contributed to Shift and to Breakfast on the Bridges. Stephanie brings a unique mix of financial and organizational skill to Portland’s bike culture projects, helping great ideas succeed and grow. *Stephanie Routh is a member of the Alice Awards Selection Committee and is therefore not eligible to win an award. The Share the Road Safety ClassStarting in 2007, many people cited by Police for a traffic infraction in Multnomah County have been given the option of reducing their fine by attending the Share the Road Safety Class. Judge Christopher Larsen and Mike Morrison, RN, worked for a year to develop this class, with the goal of educating, rather than simply penalizing, people who are cited for breaking bicycle- or pedestrian-related laws. More than 4,500 people have taken the class (bicyclists make up 10-15% of most classes), and 80-90% of attendees report that the content was useful and the class was not a waste of their time (and not only because it reduced their fine). The SprockettesSome might say that an "All-Female Minibike Dance Troupe" could only exist in Portland. In 2004, when the Sprockettes debuted at the Multnomah County Bike Fair, that was probably true; five years later they've spawned bike-related dance troupes all over the world, particularly in their native Cascadia. The Sprockettes give women a proud place in Portland's bike culture, emphasize bicycling's do-it-yourself spirit, and they work tirelessly to share their values and their vision far and wide. Ron StrasserRon Strasser is a bike racer with Portland’s Team S&M whose consistent enthusiasm, good cheer and passion, unvaried over many years, amaze his fellow riders. As an advocate, Ron works with private landowners in and along Scappoose’s popular mountain bike trails to maintain good relationships and great trails. Ron is also a tireless volunteer, running children’s races, setting up and tearing down courses, and doing hard, dirty work to keep trails open year after year. Mayor Janet TaylorMayor Janet Taylor’s leadership in the face of significant obstacles and some opposition has been critical to recent and planned improvements in Salem’s bicycle network. The City of Salem will finish converting an old railroad bridge across the Willamette River to bicycle and pedestrian use in April of this year, and another bike/ped bridge to Minto Island is now being planned. City staff have planned Salem’s first Bicycle Boulevard, and the City was recently recognized as a “Bicycle Friendly Community” by the League of American Bicyclists. With Mayor Taylor’s leadership, Salem is developing a vision for itself as a great city for bicycling. Paige TownsendPaige Townsend is the Rogue Valley Transportation District’s Senior Planner. Among many other accomplishments, she has brought Safe Routes to School to 10 schools, advocated for the creation of a Medford Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, created a five day skateboard camp for local youth, organized a Bike Swap to raise funds for Bike Safety Education, coordinated a Car Free Day street closure in Ashland and organized a bike ride with local Mayors and County Commissioners to build relationships and clout. Paige began her bicycle, skateboard, and pedestrian work in 2003 and she continues to amaze her community with the creativity, determination and passion she brings to her job.
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