Jeremy Grandstaff from the Alliance for Biking & Walking presents the “Advocacy Organization of the Year” Award to BikePGH Executive Director Scott Bricker

Bike Pittsburgh wins national advocacy award

Some of the staff of BikePGH just returned from the annual National Bike Summit in Washington DC. Most know the Summit as the time where over 800 bike advocates from across the land storm the Capitol Building to lobby and educate our elected officials about how they can support safer, livable and bike-friendly infrastructure.

Another major part of the Summit is connecting with our contemporaries from other North American cities to swap stories, ideas, dreams and generally geek out. The Alliance for Biking & Walking, the national organization whose job it is to make sure all of the local organizations are connected, strengthened and supported is always on hand to build these bridges.  Each Summit, they host their annual meeting where member organizations, like BikePGH, get together with our peers to announce the coveted Alliance “Advocacy Awards.”

We are proud to announce that BikePGH won the “2011 Advocacy Organization of the Year” award.

Here’s what the Alliance had to say:

On its face, Pittsburgh is a tough place to ride a bicycle. The streets are steep and twisting, and the winters are long and brutal. But bicycle mode share is up and the Steel City is charged up with new enthusiasm for active transportation. Why? Bike Pittsburgh. The advocates at BikePGH have been working hand-in-hand with government officials to get new infrastructure on the ground, partnered with the local companies to get the business community on board and created innovative programs, like Car Free Fridays, that are getting more people on bicycles. But BikePGH excels at more than the nuts and bolts of basic organizing. The members of their small staff are the best kind of ambassadors for the movement: They’re friendly, energetic and welcoming. The work and attitude of BikePGH are making Pittsburgh a mighty appealing place to ride… despite the tough terrain.

Also honored at the reception were:

Advocate of the Year: Jackie Douglas, LivableStreets (Boston)
Business Advocate of the Year: New Belgium Brewing Company
Winning Campaign of the Year: Michigan Complete Streets
Best Practices Award: Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
Susie Stephens Joyful Enthusiasm Award: Stephanie Routh, Willamette Pedestrian Coalition
Innovation Award: Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling

Congratulations to everyone and thanks for your hard work!

Find out more about the Alliance and the other Advocacy Award winners here

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Not a member of BikePGH? Join today! We need you to add your voice! Bike Pittsburgh works to protect cyclist’s rights and promote the vision of making Pittsburgh a safer and more enjoyable place to live and to ride. For more info, check out: www.bikepgh.org/membership