WHAT PEOPLE SAY about the Bicycling Monterey website and projects

A. Visitors to Monterey County, and other people who reside outside the county

B. Monterey County residents/locals

C. Monterey County media professionals

D. Monterey County and Monterey Bay Region transportation professionals and municipal leaders

E. Bike advocates from Monterey County and elsewhere

These thoughtful acknowledgements of the Bicycling Monterey work have been provided through media reports, website comments, social media shout-outs, and thank you notes via email and postal mail. ♥
To help support this work, and for FAQs, click here.

A. Comments from visitors to Monterey County, and from other people who reside outside the county

1. “Your site is really useful…It is, by far, the most comprehensive bicycle site for Monterey County…and regularly updated, which is rare.”—Anneke Prins, visitor from the U.K.
2. “Wow! Thank you very much for that very extensive and useful reply! I don’t know what made me think of Monterey as a bicycle friendly place, but it seems my instinct was right!”—Asa Widmark, visitor from Sweden
3. “Thanks to @BikeMonterey…for great tips that helped make this bike touring trip a big success.”—Stephen Zavestoski
4. “I love the site! I’m a bicycling fan from Australia.”—Steve Matheson
5. “This is a wonderful site…Thank you.” —David Nakai, visitor biking Carmel and Salinas
6. “Thank you for a WONDERFULLY informative site.” — Sam Ornelas, Fresno
7. “A tireless advocate and promoter of two things I love—bikes and Monterey. Thanks for all you do for Monterey biking. My tourist dollars will be happy to land in Monterey.”—Kathleen Jones, park ranger from Mountain View, CA
8. “Great website full of useful information and tips on safe bicycling.”—Paula Ross, Sonoma, California
9. “As a regular visitor to Pacific Grove since 1963 I can attest that there is no finer way to see the peninsula than by bike. You have captured the essence of how and why cycling is so enjoyable for both transportation and recreation. Thanks for providing your site.”—Rob Swain
10. “What a fantastic resource for all!”—Heynia CooleyHeynia and Mark 8 Jan 2012 (2)
11. “What an awesome story! Inspiring on so many levels.”—Lindsey O’Neill, Vancouver, British Columbia
12. “Your writing is poignant.”—Angela Parkins, Boulder, Colorado
13. “Your tenacious spirit & wisdom, full of soul for Monterey County & beyond, are greatly admired!…CONGRATULATIONS MARI & MONTEREY COMMUNITY LEADERS et al. on this awesome support for your biking smart residents and guests!”—Floann Younker, Dawson City, Illinois
14. “I’m an avid cyclist relocating to Monterey soon. Great site! Thanks for all the news and resources.”—Mark Daniels
15. “You are amazing for starting the HER Helmet Thursdays program. Thank you!”—Karen Woodson
16. “Great write up of a great program!” Erik O/”Fenriq,” Santa Cruz, CaliforniaJerrod Adams - fam at lovers point
17. “You are a talented writer!”—Captain Jerrod Adams, U.S. Army
18. “I haven’t owned a car in over a half decade and have biked in Monterey and all over the world.  I appreciate and visit frequently your website.  Keep up the great work.”—David Reichbaum, San Mateo, CaliforniaRiding Waves David Reichbaum cropped19. “You make it look easy! Bilingual resources…pretty terrific! Family centered bicycling…pretty wonderful!”—Maureen Byrnes, CNM from New Jersey
20. “Thanks for putting up a helpful resource.” —Hans Ongchua, park ranger from Northern California
21. “I have gone to businesses on HER Helmet Thursdays, and they are always gracious. Thank you for making such a great program work!”–Sam Poteete
22. “I especially appreciate your volunteerism to be the energy behind this initiative. Thank you!” —Alivia Moore
23. “A one-woman production and volunteer effort…full of bike-related resources, events, news, programs, etc.”—Cory Caletti. Senior Transportation Planner at Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission
24. “Mari, your website has started a revolution in Santa Cruz. We want to launch a site like yours – but we imagine we need 10 people at least to launch what you have done.”—Karen Kefauver, “Spin City” columnist for the Santa Cruz Sentinel
25. “A good friend doing amazing things to make the world a better place.” —Tracey Tucker Levine, Nashville, TN
26. “A great project worth supporting, with a great person behind it.”—Misty Ojure, Cambridge, MA
27. “The creation of Bicycling Monterey and ongoing upkeep of this web site and bicycling projects by Mari is so inspiring!”—Sandi Laney, Spokane, WA
28. “A woman who’s doing amazing community outreach in Monterey County….Mari’s work is diverse and inclusive. She gives so much to the community, and beyond.”—Laurel Thomsen, Bonny Doon, CA
29. “Good tips. Thanks, Mari Lynch.” — Jeff Frost, Arizona (AKA Frosty, athletic director for the Sea Otter Classic).CeqyDwiXIAAf-zJ
30. “Mari’s an amazing long time volunteer crusader (and cyclist) for bicycling in this most bike friendly region of the country. Her comprehensive Bicycling Monterey site is so deserving of $ support donations from everyone who benefits from all she does and has done for cylists in this area.” — Charlotte Rozier Manis, South Carolina
31. “Mari Lynch is an amazing person who has done so many great things for cycling in Monterey County.” — Nicholas Takashi Santana of Osaka, Japan and Fresno, CA
32. “Bicycle and alternative-transportation peeps — if you have a few bucks to spare, check out this fundraiser! Mari has been doing some great work.” – Tisha King Havens, Austin, TX
33. “Love the work…! Monterey is such a special place to ride!” – Catharine Pendrel of Canada
34. “We will be visiting Carmel and staying near the Hatton Canyon trail, July 25-29 2016, and are cheered to see your efforts in promoting bicycle safety and riding opportunities off-road in the same area.” – Steve Cutcomb, California
35. “This is a really great project my friend Mari has worked so hard on and I love it!!”—Brenna Keeler, Ben Lomond, CA
36. “Some great tips from a local for mass-transit and bike routes….” —International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA)
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37. “Everything you need to know about Bike and Ride Options.”—Capitol Corridor, Oakland, CA
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38. “Get moving when you shop for fresh food at farmer’s markets by biking!”—Healthy Planet US, San Francisco, CAScreen Shot 2016-08-28 at 3.53.20 PM
39. “Cycling is big and getting bigger in Monterey County….Do we have anything like this ‘Back to the Books and Bikes’ guide, for University of Miami, MIami-Dade College, or FIU?”—Bike SoMi, Miami, FL Screen Shot 2016-08-28 at 4.02.03 PM
40. [It’s clear that info on the Bicycling Monterey website is useful to people outside Monterey County too, as Facebook shares often show, such as these directly below from Bike WaShoe / Truckee Meadows Bicycle Alliance; Kevin Süß‎ to Bike2School, Normal, IL; Plan Z for Miami, FL. Screen Shot 2016-08-28 at 4.20.34 PM

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41. “Bicycling Monterey is an invaluable source of information about riding in the area.”—Jay Rawlins, Best Rides
42. “Thank you for the well rounded guide @bikemonterey!!” —Save Our Shores, Santa Cruz, CA
43. “You have been such a champion for bicycle advocacy for so long! Thank you for the extreme benefit that you bring to the community. Even though I am now in Oakland, the work you do in Monterey County is felt far and wide.”—Nathan Pierce, Oakland, CA
44. “Thanks for sharing your well written bike law and safety guide.”—Christopher B. Dolan, Esq., San Francisco, CA
45.”We are gonna plan tomorrow around the HER Helmet Thursdays deals. It is a very cool initiative.”—Jody Bailey, Alberta, Canada
46. “Thanks again @bikemonterey for all your help with [tips about] @seaotterclassic.”—Hunter Weeks, Seattle, WA
47. “Check out Mari Lynch’s Bicycling Monterey Site! Everything you need to know about cycling in one of the most beautiful places.”—Abe Lincoln, Morro Bay, CA
48. “Great to hear from the inspiring @BikeMonterey about delight and toil on [Highway 1, Big Sur Coast].” —Rachel Duchak, Morning Edition host and producer Central Coast Public Radio KCBXfm
https://twitter.com/BikeMonterey/status/1207506369181450240?s=20
49. “You all are doing amazing work. Thank you!”—Rev Laura Everett, Boston, MA
50. “Thank you for the great resources.” Jamie Fearer, Nacotchtank Land | Trinidad, DC
51. “Thanks, this was great, important questions. #BikeSchool”—Hugh Share, Wildwood, MO
52. “Thank you @bikemonterey for prof’ing on this very important topic. #BikeSchool”—Martha Boyd, El Paso, TX
53. “Thanks @bikemonterey for hosting a fun #BikeSchool!”—Rudi Riet, Washington, DC
54. “Amazing wealth of information!!!—Denise Danielle, Groveland, CA
56. “I looked at BikeMonterey’s website. It’s a good model for what other communities could do. Very cool!”—Yvonne Caruthers (retired cellist) on Mastodon
56. “Bike Monterey is doing great work!”“Thanks for your selfless efforts keeping the website going and your intelligent advocacy.”..“Thank you for all your hard work for a noble cause.” —Jack Holmgren, San Francisco Bay Area, CA

B. Comments from Monterey County residents/locals

1. “@BikeMonterey is a fabulous resource for biking in Monterey County.”—Wendy Root Askew, Monterey County Supervisor, District 4
2. “Thank you for all your efforts to support our mission. You are a great asset for the bicycling community, and that is an understatement!”—Mike Novo, chair, Transportation Agency for Monterey County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
3. “Wow. I just perused the whole list [contributors of project supplies]. You guys keep immaculate records of gifts!”—Greg Hamer, Carmel
4. “Great resource and information for all. Great job!”—Jacob “Jake” Arroyo
5. “Great post about biking in Castroville. Thank you!”—Terry of Castroville
6. “Mari, yours is a very accessible, attractive and most important, informative website. You’re a very good reporter and seem to be everywhere, catching, interviewing and photographing touring cyclists like Wonder Woman, in addition to local cycling stories. Ride ON, girl!”—Dennis Renault, the Biking Viking
7. “You have done an absolutely outstanding job of making this site a reality that anyone with two wheels appreciates.”—Mary Davis, Marina
8. “Mari, you are to be commended for your tireless work and dedication to encourage more use of bikes.” —Elvira Robinson, Carmel
9. “Comprehensive guide to biking in Monterey…Filled a gap in our tour guide info.”—Ellen Tucker, Monterey
10. “Mari: Thank you for continuing to be a great voice of the Monterey Cycling Community.”—Devian Gilbert
11. “Mari I do so enjoy and appreciate your writing. This personal touch…brightened my day.” —Bettina Hotelling, Pebble Beach
12. “…I have decided to change exclusively to bicycle riding….Thank you for giving bicycle information to our residents.”—John William Coffman
13. “Thank you for posting an article on my brother! I am so proud of him, and I had tears reading this article! I love reading articles in regards to Youth doing positive things in our community!”—Dawn AllenShawn Carden 2012-11-25 cropped
14.”Thanks for your flyers. They were a big hit with the parents at our Cub Scouts bike rodeo!” —Lt. Angela Leffler, Naval Postgraduate School Cycling Club memberHow it works DSC00999
15. “Beautiful article Mari and you did an exceptional job portraying the essence of Devian.” —Donna, Carmel
16. “Great resource for Monterey County bicycling information.”—Fort Ord Reuse Authority
17. “Thank you for spending all your precious time volunteering to get the Youth Center bike class established; I’m sure it takes a minute (times a million)!”—Luciano RodriguezSorting parts
18. “Thank you once again for all your help with the launch of Ciclovia Salinas. You have been an important piece in this accomplishment!” – Andrea Manzo, Building Healthy Communities-East SalinasBarricade training 9-12-13 for Ciclovia Salinas
19. “I thought I was a bicycle promoter until I met you. Thank you, Mari!” – Jim Warwick, Salinas High School teacher and SHS Cowboys MTB team advisorWarm hats - IMG_0394
20. “You left out BEST BICYCLE ADVOCATE/WRITER/WEBSITE: Mari Lynch!!!! No doubt about it!!!! Bravo, Bravissimo!!!!…Mari, you astound us all for how you embrace our community with ALL THINGS BICYCLE. You make our cycling world go round and we thank you for that!” —Cath Tendler-Valencia, SeasideCath and audience DSC00212
21. “We cannot thank you enough for all your help and support.”—Richard Gray, director, Monterey County Probation Department Youth CenterCerney mural at Monterey County Youth Center
22. “I’m thankful for all your great support over the past few years.”—Andrew Kipsey, Bridge Restoration’s B2B Ride.AK sharing news of Bridge at NPS ride IMG_0908
23. “Thanks for all you do for the bicycling community.”—Henrietta Stern, Monterey Off Road Cycling Associationmorca_header2rndtop
24. “I read your article this morning, and was SO HAPPY to have been included. Thank you so very, very much. We are thrilled to be included on such a list.”—Susie Brusa, Executive Director, Rancho Cielo Youth Campus
25. “Your presentation was very informative and generated lots of interest in our audience. People could have stayed longer with many more questions, if it had not been for me and my timer! Your enthusiasm for more biking is truly inspirational. I, for one, came out of Tuesday’s program more determined than ever to do more biking and walking.”—Denyse Frischmuth, Sustainable Pacific Grove
26. “Thank you for all your help and support.”—Rob Garcia, Salinas social cycling advocate, member of Salinas Lions Club and Knights of ColumbusIMG_1053
27. “I greatly admire and respect all that you do for the local bike community!”—Dave Holodiloff, Musician
28. “We appreciate all your help. Thank you for your support of NPSCC!” —Giovanna Kha Marino, Naval Postgraduate School Foundation Devin, Tyler, and Dena Donnell - 024
29. “The Monterey County Probation Department Youth Center bike repair and safety class is a wonderful project.” —Catherine Crockett, Sustainable Monterey County
30. “Thank you for all your work, and always considering Salinas in it too.” —Jacky Luna, founder of the Salinas Urban Art Project
31. “I learned about HER Helmet Thursdays by attending the Tuesday Salinas City Council meeting. WOW!! Great going, and please tell the participants my family is definitely going to give them business.”—Lane Davis, Salinas
32.”We appreciate your dedication and giving spirit!”—Kay and Sieg Magenheim, founders of Signature Irrigation, Salinas
33. “Wow…really great information on your site…so very useful….”—Laura Vidaurri, Fort Ord Reuse Authority ESCA Program Coordinator, Marina
34. “I wholeheartedly support the work Mari is doing for the biking community, which benefits our way of life here on the Monterey Peninsula.”—Jacquelyn Woodward, Carmel
37. “Thanks for all your good work.” —Mary Conway
38. “Tireless volunteer.” —Kelly McMillin
39. “It’s called Bicycling Monterey but it’s Bicycle Monterey County. She [Mari Lynch] has some of the best write-ups of the East Side [East Salinas/the Alisal]….She’s very bicycle centric,  everything she says is the bicycle side, but she’s great about being like, ‘from this block to this block.’ Mari Lynch does an excellent job, excellent job. She’s always reaching out to us….” [from Salinas Underground Podcast in their 1/21/16 podcast,  at 49:00+).
“If there is a website with more info on biking and local businesses we have not found it. Keep up the great work!!” —Salinas Underground Podcast / @SalinasPodcast on Twitter

40. “Thanks for your tireless work, Mari! You make it seem so effortless!”—Heidi Hall, Light & Motion

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41. “Thank you for all the great work you do to educate and promote safe biking in Monterey….I have no doubt that everyone who visits the bikemonterey.org site or participates in the events you host walk away knowing much more than when they started…. I’m positive your work has positively impacted this community.” – Geoff Arnold
42. “Mari’s been rockin the bike thing in Monterey for a long, long time. She’s the Princess of Spokes.” – Ray Napolitano
43. “Mari Lynch does an AMAZING job promoting cycling in our community! Please support as you are able!! – Stacy Meheen, Carmel
44. “Please consider contributing to Mari Lynch’s tireless effort to make Monterey County’s air cleaner, residents healthier and streets safer through biking.” – Kera Abraham Panni, Seaside
45. “Keep up the awesome efforts!” – Keith DeFiebre
46. “Support Mari and her generous and amazing work on bikemonterey.org. This site serves locals and visitors with tons of information. This has been a labor of love by Mari and it’s time to support this project financially, as it’s time-consuming and has operating costs as well.” – Danielle Shillcock, Seaside
47. “Thank you for being such a positive representative of the bicycle community and for all your hard work….No contributor reward is necessary. Having the bikemonterey.org website is reward enough. ” — Jack Long and Janet Beaty
48. “Mari Lynch has created an awesome resource and is deserving of support! Please check it out and donate – even if it’s only a few dollars!” — Renee Hardenstein
49. “Wow! You are THE cycling celebrity of Monterey County, Mari Lynch! Thanks…” — Salinas Public Library
50. “Planning to bike to the Artichoke Festival on May 30-31? Here’s a great calendar post by Mari Lynch of Bicycling Monterey.” —Artichoke FestivalScreen Shot 2016-08-28 at 2.34.36 PM
51. “A valuable site run by an invaluable person.” — Kenny Trammel, Valley Bikes.
52. “Mari Lynch has single handedly created this amazing web site, which is a vast resource for local and visiting cyclists alike. She’s also created many related projects, including founding the Monterey County Probation Department Youth Center bike class, the HER Helmet Thursdays project, and more. Consider supporting this eco-friendly cause.” —Jody Emerson Quintana
53. “Bicycling Monterey supports a variety of bike advocacy projects on a volunteer basis.”—Natividad Medical Center
54. “Thanks for the support and keep up the good job!”—Rob Cepeda
55. “Great blog post by Mari Lynch about biking on Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey and special discounts available for cyclists there on Thursdays.”—The Lighthouse District, Monterey / @lighthouseave on Twitter 8/28/16
56. “Our friends at #BicyclingMonterey shared some tips for biking in #PebbleBeach!”—Portola Hotel & Spa, Monterey
57. “Thanks, Mari Lynch, for this cool website [web page] about Salinas.”—Rancho Cielo Youth Campus, Salinas
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58. “Thanks for supporting our #MCGives campaign… Bicycling Monterey!”—The Offset Project, Monterey Screen Shot 2016-08-28 at 2.49.58 PM
59. “Thanks Bicycling Monterey for organizing such a fun ride!”—Ciclovia SalinasScreen Shot 2016-08-28 at 2.53.44 PM
60. “This is a great link for biking around the area.” —Lamp Lighter Inn & Sunset Suites, Carmel
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61. “Check out what local bicycling extraordinare is saying about this years 2012 B2B Bike Ride…”—Jeff Ernest, B2B Bike Ride
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62. “Want the local’s lowdown on Monterey? Check out Mari Lynch’s HER Helmet Thursdays… tons of good intel!”—Sea Otter Classic Screen Shot 2016-08-28 at 3.24.36 PM
63. “Great blog regarding biking in Monterey…Hats off to all of our eco-conscious travelers!”—Monterey Plaza Hotel & SpaScreen Shot 2016-08-28 at 3.48.36 PM
64. “Great piece on our very own Australian biking harpsichord technician.”—Carmel Bach FestivalScreen Shot 2016-08-28 at 3.46.36 PM
65. “A youth without a car in rural Monterey County uses the MST bus when he can, but available bus service is very limited. Now he has a bike to get to community college and work…. Thanks go to Mari of Bicycling Monterey for connecting me with him. www.bicyclingmonterey.com”—Steve Benes, Gears 4 GoodScreen Shot 2016-08-28 at 3.49.41 PM
66. “GREAT TIPS!!! COMPLIMENTS OF ‘HER HELMET'”—Turtle Bay Taqueria, Monterey and Seaside (both are HER Helmet Thursdays Project charter participants)Screen Shot 2016-08-28 at 4.07.21 PM
67. “If you bike in Salinas.” —Angeles JimenezScreen Shot 2016-08-28 at 4.11.44 PM
68. “The Andy Ausonio Library/MCFL Castroville Branch is a resource for people who bike! Many thanks to Mari Lynch of Bicycling Monterey Blog, whose donation made it possible to add new resources on bicycling to the library’s collection.”—Friends of the Andy Ausonio Library, Castroville
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69. “Mari Lynch offers lots of news, actions, resources, and ideas for people who like to bike – and for anyone interested in making Monterey County bike-friendlier.”—Sustainable Seaside
70. “Absolutely necessary to support alternatives to driving!…Thank you for all you do that inspires us. And thank you for all you do for so many!”–Edith Frederick, Salinas
71. “Thanks  for helping get the word out about our amazing group of students who ride in our bike club!” —Monterey Park School, Salinas
72. “Step by step, bikes will shape the town. Thanks!”—Gabriel Guillén, Monterey
73. “This is a great program [Monterey County Probation Department Youth Center bike education program founded by Bicycling Monterey].”—Beverly Fabrics, Monterey
74. “Thanks, Bicycling Monterey, for your help finding bikes for our clients!”—Interim Inc., Monterey County
75.”Great bike tips for tourists as well as residents.”—Middlebury Institute of International Studies
76. “Nice article [https://bikemonterey.org/big-sur-bicycling-tips-for-the-big-sur-coast.html] on the care and feeding of Big Sur, geared toward bicyclists.”

“@BikeMonterey is THE local expert on biking in or through Monterey County. @MariLynch’s advice is golden!”

“What a great advocate – untiring, at that – for bicycling you have become in these past ten years, Mari. Your voice is important.”

—Kate Novoa a.k.a. Big Sur Kate, Big Sur

76. “One woman, a vision for local community… Thanks for all your hard work Mari!!!” —Sustainable Monterey
77. “Thank you again so much for speaking at Carmel Valley Rotary. I am so impressed by your amazing work and commitment. I am thinking of cleaning up my bike and keeping it in town at my office to do local errands! Yours is such important work!”—Janie Rommel-Eichorn, Palo Colorado Canyon, Big Sur
78. “I totally thank you now and always for educating our local folk and those who visit!!! You are such a wonderful outlet of information. Thank you!!!”—Nichola Swanson-Marengo on FB
79. “Your dedication to personal, environmental and community health through biking is inspiring!”—Terrill and Robin Keeler, Marina
80. “A big thank you to @BikeMonterey for all the local advocacy work.”—Matt Hess, Seaside
81. “Mari I love your HER Helmet Thursdays idea….It brings people out on their bikes and lets cyclists know which businesses support cycling. Thank you for everything that you do for Monterey cycling.”—Mike
82. “It is a wonderful cycling enterprise you are contributing to Monterey. Your site, as always, is fabulous. You do beautiful work!”—Leo Kodl

C. Comments from Monterey County media professionals

1. “An umbrella website for all things two-wheeled in Monterey County….A relentless advocate for a bikeable MoCo….She does this advocacy work with an eye on diversity and social justice….Despite the enormity of the challenges she takes on, she’s unfailingly courteous, friendly and solutions-oriented.”—Kera Abraham, Monterey County Weekly [Kera is now Conservation & Science Outreach Manager at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.]Kera Abraham - cropped
2. “No profit motive for its creator, Mari Lynch, just a vision to see more locals and tourists ride bikes.”–Ravi Kapur, KSBWksbw_mari - city of mtry beach
3. “The consummate ‘spokes’ woman!”—Roberto Robledo, Salinas Californian
4. “Monterey County bicycling enthusiast extraordinaire!”—Claudia Meléndez Salinas, Monterey County Herald
5. “A wealth of relevant information for cyclists residing in or visiting Monterey County.”—Peter Mounteer, Cedar Street Times
6. “Tireless cycling advocate.”—Squid (9/25/14), Monterey County Weekly
7. “Sage advice for bike commuters and tourists.”—Daniel Strain, Salinas Californian

8. “Mari Lynch is doing great things re: local cycling safety and infrastructure.” —David M. Schmalz, Staff Writer, Monterey County Weekly

D. Comments from Monterey County and Monterey Bay Region transportation professionals and municipal leaders

1. “Great resource for tourists and residents alike!”—Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments
2. “Thanks for all you have done to promote safe and fun cycling in Monterey County.”—Kevin Cole, Safety Director, Pebble Beach CompanyDena Donnell - 8 mos - IMG_0313
3. “Unyielding support for bike projects. A very positive voice.”—Rich Deal, City of Monterey Traffic Engineer
4. “Does so much for the community, in an informative and collaborative manner.”—Debbie Hale, Executive Director, Transportation Agency for Monterey CountyScreen Shot 2016-08-28 at 4.30.55 PM
5. “We appreciate all your bicycling support and effort!” Kaki Cheung, former bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, Transportation Agency for Monterey CountyDUC - Kaki Cheung of TAMC in Salinas 10 May 2011 - 014 (5)
6. “Your recognition by the Alliance for Biking & Walking is so well deserved.”—Andrew Cook, former bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, Transportation Agency for Monterey County
7. “Thanks for all you are doing!”—James Serrano, City of Salinas Transportation PlannerJames Serrano - Salinas planner
8. “Civic minded…very uplifting.”—Michael Ricker, City of Salinas
9. “MST appreciates all of your support today, and everyday….Thanks for continually spreading the word about MST!”—Zoe Shoats, marketing manager, Monterey-Salinas TransitMST beauty - longview - DSC00304
10. “Great source of bicycling news and events.”—City of Monterey Community Development / Transportation Alternatives webpage
11. “Thanks for help spreading the word about the benefits of cycling in Monterey County.”
“You are very kind and a great member of our community and team. Many thanks.”—City of Monterey  on Twitter
12. “Thanks to Natividad Medical Foundation and Bicycling Monterey for supporting and promoting safe biking for kids with a donation of 32 new helmets, plus outreach and education!”—Salinas Police Department
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13. “Read more about Climate Change and Bicycling in the tri-county region!
https://bikemonterey.org/ “—San Benito County Rideshare
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14. “Congratulations Mari Lynch for 7 years of Bicycling Monterey https://bikemonterey.org/ I admire and appreciate your dedication to getting people bicycling.”—Richard Lopez, Police Officer, City of Salinas
15. “I appreciate your kind words and your service to the community!! You are amazing.”—Steve McShane, Council Member, City of Salinas
16. “Bike Monterey [bikemonterey.org] is such a rich resource!”—Inga Waite, Library and Museums Director, City of Monterey

E. Comments from bike advocates who hail from  Monterey County and elsewhere

1. “Good work, Bike Monterey. You are an amazing resource for our region!”—Bike Santa Cruz County
2. “In 2021, Mari Lynch of the seminal local resource, Bicycling Monterey, is an accessible, impressive advocate who has spearheaded our local alternative transportation coalition movement….The site continues to be the source for local and state resources, a robust and well-established site.”—Jung Hwa Kim,AMFT, Pacific Grove Traffic Safety Commissioner
3. “Consistently advocates for bicycling. Major kudos to Mari for all her great work!”—California Bicycle Coalition. And “Your blog post [on a controversial Monterey County infrastructure project] is excellent. People need to be involved by supporting Bike Monterey!”—Dave Snyder, executive director of California Bicycle Coalition
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4. “Monterey gets more bike friendly every year, and Mari Lynch is one of the main reasons why!” —Ray Keener, executive director of the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association
5. “Advocating passionately for us bikers.”—Susan Ragsdale-Cronin, Del Rey Oaks bike commuter momRagsdale Cronin Kids 0046. “Outstanding site. Uplifting, informative, relevant, and fun to read and look at.”—Matthew Sundt, former president of Velo Club Monterey
7. “Excellent resource for all things bikes in Monterey County.” — Richard Masoner on his Cyclelicious blog – And “Mari Lynch is a one-woman bicycle advocacy MACHINE and needs your help to continue her work in Monterey County California. She’s done amazing work all around the county and I encourage you to give what you can.” —Richard Masoner of Cyclelicious, Santa Cruz County
8. “Bicycling Monterey…chock full of info on local family bike activities and resources, as well as ways to get involved in local bicycle advocacy efforts….Thank you so much for the lovely photos…a breath of fresh air.” —Anna Fahey, Sightline Institute, Seattle, Washington
9. “You put your region’s diversity front and center in your work.” — Adonia Lugo, PhD, bicycle anthropologist, publisher of the blog Urban Adonia, and manager of the Bike Equity Network
10. “Mari doesn’t wait until all conditions are right and funds are available; she just dives in and gets things done!” —Alliance for Biking & WalkingAlliance_Logo_Color_JPG
11. “Mari Lynch, [featured] bike advocate in Monterey County, California, and founder of Bicycling Monterey.” —League of American BicyclistsLeague - home_titleimage6
12. “If you live or ride anywhere around Monterey, Carmel or Salinas, you owe it to yourself to support @bikemonterey.” And “Thank you for all your hard work….You really make a difference up there.”—Ted Rogers, Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition board memberScreen Shot 2016-02-03 at 10.43.26 PM
13. “Mari is a tireless and passionate bicycle advocate….Really great website.”—Saskia Lucas, Open Streets Santa Cruz
14. “You’re definitely the role-model to follow, for anyone hoping to influence pedestrian/car/bike fairness and diplomacy and habit evolution in a community!” – Steve Cutcomb, San Francisco Bay Area cyclist
15. “I’m wondering if something subliminal has happened after reading Mari Lynch Bicycling Monterey. I’ve been riding the Rock Island Greenway Trail for the last week and a half. Just a wonderful and beautiful ride! It’s not Monterey, CA, but a real gem for Peoria.”—Richard Coers, Peoria, IL
16. “You guys are pretty awesome!”—Bike Texas
17. “One of the very best resources for Monterey area cyclists, both residents and visitors, is Bicycling Monterey. Hosted and run since 2009 by Mari Lynch, her site is incredibly broad in scope, but also rich in details. Mari covers all aspects of cycling in our area and it’s safe to say there’s no one who does more for cycling and cyclists in Monterey County. Bicycling Monterey is very deserving of any support you can give.”—Velo Club Monterey
18. “Thank you for your help [regarding U.S. Bicycle Route 95 designation in the County of Monterey]. Your guidance made it happen, after 5 years of frustration….Great thanks to you, Bicycling Monterey!”—Kerry Irons, Adventure Cycling Association
19. “It’s awesome that you stepped in to help on that teen’s behalf!”(responding to Bicycling Monterey’s project that provides alternatives to fines for youth who receive traffic citations while biking)—Phil Yip, Operations Coordinator, Bike East Bay (@Ascentale on Mastodon)

Why Contribute

 

In addition to the comments above, you may wish to consider the information below. 

“Transparent and honest work”

Del Rey Oaks resident Susan Ragsdale-Cronin wrote a letter to the Monterey County Herald, “Sincere thanks for practicing the golden rule,” March 28, 2011:

“…the basis of ethics is the Golden Rule. When we practice this rule (and not the variation ‘those with the gold make the rules’), the expectation is that others do, too. I have recently seen and felt the denial and then the heartbreak of the disregard of this most simple tenet of daily living. From the colossal chain of events that Wall Street can trigger to the unraveling of local nonprofits, untangling the web of deceit is no fun.

“But it is exactly this contrast that makes me appreciate the toil of people committed to transparent and honest work. For this, all of our community should look with admiration and gratitude to people such as…Mari Lynch (Bicycling Monterey).”Ragsdale-Cronins at MPC Mktg 006
Founded in May 2009 as a public service, Bicycling Monterey was created by volunteer Mari Lynch. As 2024 begins, Mari continues to do the work of the site and projects entirely as a volunteer. Learn more about Bicycling Monterey in the About section.

Megan Tolbert, executive director of Boulder Transportation Connections, former transportation planner at California State University Monterey Bay and former associate planner, sustainability for City of Monterey wrote: “Mari is a genuine community steward. Her work with Bicycling Monterey is a huge public service to the region. She performs her work with passion and compassion, and she’s skilled at detail-oriented quality control.”

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Is creating and maintaining this website that much work? 

The World Wide Web has changed how content is provided.
What has not changed is how accurate, reliable content is created–with much time, skill, and careful research.
Our neighbors across the Monterey Bay recognized this.  In a November 2010 online conversation,  a Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission senior planner and a Santa Cruz Sentinel columnist wrote:

“Have you seen the Bicycling Monterey site? This is a one-woman production and volunteer effort. It’s full of bike-related resources, events, news, programs, etc….Does anyone have an interest in working to pull something like this together for our area?”

“Mari, your website has started a revolution in Santa Cruz. We want to launch a site like yours – but we imagine we need 10 people at least to launch what you have done.”

A question may come to mind: “You promote a lot of businesses and others. Aren’t you paid for that?” No.

Even the hundreds of businesses and organizations in The HER Helmet Thursdays Project have not been charged any fee, 2009-2023.

In April 2010, the Monterey County Weekly contacted Mari and invited her to contribute a history of HER Helmet Thursdays as their Earth Day “Local Spin” editorial. Click here to read that history. Click here to watch a video intro on KSBW.

 
Perhaps you’d like to contribute project supplies or volunteer time instead of, or in addition to, contributing money:

To contribute project supplies, check the wish list on the project summary page for ideas, or just contact Mari. For a list of contributors of project supplies, click here.

To volunteer, check the ideas on volunteer your time. For a list of volunteers, scroll down the acknowledgements page.

Fundraising

Individuals or organizations that would like to see the Bicycling Monterey website and projects continue into a second decade can help by sharing a fundraising link with others.

  1. A post on the Bicycling Monterey site, “A Decade of Bicycling Advocacy: Bicycling Monterey, 2009-2019
  2. A page on the Bicycling Monterey site, “FAQs and Ways to Contribute
Thank you. Have questions or comments? Phone calls welcome. Please refer to contact page for details.
Why help keep Bicycling Monterey rolling?
In addition to those who benefit from the various Bicycling Monterey projects, and the thousands of individual website visitors each month…

Bicycling Monterey is also recognized as a helpful resource and linked by the following and others: Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (a program of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association), Bike Santa Cruz County’s “Brilliant Ideas” section, Biking in LA, California Bicycle Coalition, California State University Monterey Bay, Carey Beebe Harpsichords, City of Monterey, City of Salinas, City of Seaside, Communities for Sustainable Monterey County, Community Alliance for Safety and Peace, Cruz511 – Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, Cyclelicious, Cycling the Pacific Coast, Douglas Mueller, Filmmaker, Fort Ord Bicycle-Equestrian Trails Assistance (BETA), Hartnell College, Lamp Lighter Inn, League of American Bicyclists, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission , Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Monterey County Herald School Bytes, Monterey County Weekly, Monterey Institute of International StudiesMonterey Jazz FestivalMonterey Off Road Cycling Association, Monterey-Salinas Transit, National Steinbeck Center, Natividad Medical Center, Naval Postgraduate School Cycling Club, Old Fisherman’s Wharf, Paraiso Vineyards, Parents PlacePedestrian & Bicycle Information Center, People for BikesPeople’s Climate Movement, Portola Hotel & Spa, e.g.,  calendar listing and blog postRaleigh Electric BikesSea Otter Classic, Smart Growth America, Stevenson School, Tannery Arts Center, Transportation Agency for Monterey County, UC-Berkeley CATSIP , Velo Club Monterey, Ventana Chapter, Sierra Club, Women’s Bike Blogs by Bikestyle Spokane. Bicycling Monterey has been featured by media including AMP Media’s “Your Town,” Cedar Street Times, KKUP, KRML, KSBW, the Monterey County Herald, Monterey County Weekly, Radio Bilingüe, Salinas Californian, Women’s International Perspective (The WIP), and more.