The Golden Helmet Awards provide an opportunity for the Transportation Agency to show its appreciation to the local community for its outstanding efforts to improve transportation in Monterey County. The Transportation Agency awarded Golden Helmet Awards in past years, the latest being in 2012. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee requested the awards be reinstituted as part of this year's May Bike Month activities.
Staff received a total of twenty nominations in the award categories of Adult Individual, Youth, Program/Event, and Organization. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Advisory Committee at their April 6 meeting recommended awards to the following:
Youth:
The Salinas High School Mountain Bike Team is celebrating 10 years at Salinas High School. The team participates in Fort Ord trail building with the Monterey Off-Road Cycling Association. The team volunteers at the annual Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day and Mountain Bike Mondays, which is an organized weekly ride in Fort Ord for middle school students. The team emphasizes trail etiquette on all rides including: sharing the trails with equestrians and hikers, being stewards of local trails by not skidding, and not riding single track trails when impacted by rain to prevent trail erosion.
Individual:
Mike Baroni is the owner of Green Pedal Couriers, and an avid community volunteer that provides free bike valet service at local events, festivals and farmers markets. He volunteers at local walk, bike and run events and hosts holiday related group bike rides.
Group or Organization:
Families of Color Monterey County is a group founded by Lauryn Ricigliano and Adisa Vaughn that is dedicated to making bicycling accessible and affordable through advocacy, education, and community building. Ricigliano and Vaughn are certified League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructors. They run a monthly balance bike camp for young children, and offer scholarships to families that are otherwise unable to afford the camps. They organize monthly family bike rides and reach out to parents that are interested in learning how to ride safely with their children.
Program or Event:
HER Helmet Thursday's is a program created and launched by Bicycling Monterey founder Mari Lynch. Bike-friendly businesses throughout Monterey County provide discounts ranging from 10%-50% to bicyclists on Thursdays. For a full listing of businesses and program information visit: www.bicyclingmonterey.org
Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day is an annual community event organized by the Monterey Off-Road Cycling Association. The purpose of the event is to introduce mountain biking to kids in a safe environment, and to engage youth leadership within the local cycling community. Community resource booths, free helmets and bike tune-ups are all part of the event.
Pending Executive Committee recommendation, these nominees will be honored for their contributions to improving bicycling in Monterey County during the Agency's Board Meeting on May 24, 2017. Honoring these nominees at the May Board meeting will brings awareness to the May Bike Month activities.
Attached to this report is the draft program for the Golden Helmet Award.