TAMC Transportation Excellence Awards – 10th Annual

The Transportation Agency for Monterey County held its 10th Annual Transportation Excellence Awards ceremony on January 25, 2012 in the Monterey County Agricultural Center Conference Room in Salinas. 

Of the six Transportation Excellence awards presented for 2011, TAMC awarded one to a volunteer, bike advocate Mari Lynch, recognizing “her outstanding contribution to improved transportation in Monterey County.”

The awards were presented by TAMC Board Chair, Simon Salinas, District 3 Supervisor, and Past Chair, Maria Orozco, Mayor of Gonzales. In presenting the award, Salinas stated, “Ms. Lynch started the Bicycling Monterey website, an information hub for bicycling in Monterey County.  She also created the HER Helmet Thursdays program, an ecology-economy partnership project in which bicyclists are given discounts when visiting local businesses and organizations on Thursdays.  Ms. Lynch is a major supporter of annual Bike Week events and is an advocate for local and regional bicycling issues, to encourage more people to bicycle. ”

[Update: On May 24, 2017, Mari’s work was again honored with a TAMC award, the Golden Helmet Award.]

The six recipients of 2011

Transportation Excellence Awards

Transportation Excellence Awards to Programs

CHISPA, Inc. “Do You Really Need a Car” Campaign:  Dana Cleary, Director of Real Estate Development.

Military Bus Service:  Monterey Salinas Transit

Transportation Excellence Awards to Individuals

Mari Lynch, Bicycle Advocate

Assemblymember Luis Alejo and Teresa Acuna:  Senate Bill 436 – Habitat Preservation

Transportation Excellence Awards to Projects

Big Sur – Highway 1 Slide Repair:  Caltrans, District 5

Airport Blvd Interchange East Project: Caltrans, District 5

Also honored

TAMC Employee Appreciation

TAMC employees Dave Delfino, Debbie Hale, and Christina Watson for ten years with TAMC, and Kaki Cheung, Rita Goel, Kristen Hoschouer, Mike Zeller, and Don Bachman, for five years.

Certificate of Appreciation

Maria Orozco, Mayor of Gonzales, Outgoing TAMC Chair, was honored with a certificate of appreciation for her leadership.

Announcing the 2011 awards in its January 2012 Cal Bike Report (scroll down), the California Bicycle Coalition stated:

“Monterey bike advocate Mari Lynch, proprietor of the Bicycling Monterey site…consistently advocates for bicycling in a part of the state that’s great for riding but that has relatively little of the bicycle advocacy community seen in other parts of the state. Major kudos to Mari for all her great work!”

 

TAMC Associate Transportation Planner Kaki Cheung

Kaki demonstrates Cycle Tracks app, on a ride in Salinas during Bike Week 2011.  Kaki serves as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the Transportation Agency.