Bike Santa Cruz County has announced the 2023 winners of the Wheelie Awards, an acknowledgment of excellent work toward expanding and improving safety and awareness of cycling in Santa Cruz County. The awards will be presented at BSCC’s Annual Dinner and Silent Auction, to be held December 3 at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center in Santa Cruz.
“In order to accommodate the expanded interest in cycling as a healthy and environmentally friendly way to move through our county, we expanded the award categories we are recognizing this year,” says Amelia Conlen, Board Chair of BSCC.
The following four individuals and one business have been selected:
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Advocacy: Claire Gallogly, City of Santa Cruz
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Community Building: Jules Mandujano, Watsonville Cyclery
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Education: Albert Saporta, Santa Cruz County Cycling Club
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Service: Greg Braithwaite
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Business Partner: BCycle Santa Cruz
These award recipients have one thing in common: They have dedicated extensive time and energy supporting bicycling through advocacy, education and community building. This year, BSCC expanded from individuals to recognize an important new business partner dedicated to expanding cycling: BCycle Santa Cruz.
The award ceremony and celebration will take place at our Annual Dinner on Sunday, December 3, 2023, at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Tickets are limited, and must be purchased in advance. The event is also accompanied by a silent auction.
For tickets and more information: https://app.galabid.com/bsccad2023
MORE ABOUT THE WINNERS
Claire Gallogly is a Transportation Planner working for the City of Santa Cruz. She has been the primary coordinator for the new BCycle bike share program, which is the first in the nation to involve multiple jurisdictions under the same system. Claire tracks user data for the city of Santa Cruz users of BCycle, building a database that will be invaluable as the system expands to Capitola, Watsonville, and unincorporated county areas in 2024.
Jules Mandujano has owned Watsonville Cyclery since 2016. Even prior to that role, he served as a bike educator and activist in the Watsonville community, and continues to do so. He has helped raise awareness for green lanes near schools, builds bikes for local school rides, and was involved in both the planning and building of the Watsonville Pump Track at Ramsey Park. Jules has led numerous community rides, and leads repair and cycling safety workshops.
Albert Saporta is a 20-year plus cycling and spinning coach and is a certified instructor for the League of American Bicyclists. He served for many years on the board of the Santa Cruz County Cycling Club, where he led the club’s safety coordination functions. He routinely provides members with action alerts on tips for cycling more safely, proper cycling gear, identification of documented road hazards, and how to report road issues to the correct local agencies.
Greg Braithwaite is one of BSCC’s most reliable and dependable volunteers. A high school teacher by day, he is a dedicated cyclist and has been the ambassador for the Ride of Silence events, a memorial ride honoring cyclists killed by vehicles. Greg has worked at numerous BSCC Bike Valet events and Open Streets. He strives for positive interactions when sharing mobility infrastructure.
BCycle Santa Cruz has turbo-charged car-replacement cycling in Santa Cruz, and is poised to expand elsewhere in the county. Bike Share launched on June 20 throughout the City of Santa Cruz and UCSC campus. The company’s Santa Cruz project is the first regional bike-share system in the nation, and is scheduled to expand to Capitola, Watsonville, Cabrillo College, and the unincorporated County in 2024. The initial launch included about 400 e-bikes and 800 docks throughout the City of Santa Cruz and UCSC.
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MORE ABOUT BIKE SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
Bike Santa Cruz County promotes bicycling through advocacy, education and community building. We strive for a Santa Cruz County where cycling is a safe, respected, convenient, and enjoyable mode of transportation and recreation for people of all ages and abilities. We advocate for a comprehensive bike network that provides access to all open space and urban destinations throughout the County, as well as for connections to other regional transportation systems. We believe bicycling is fundamental to building an active community, a strong economy, and a respected natural environment. At Bike Santa Cruz County we continue this work to transform our streets into vibrant public spaces that accommodate all users.
