CATS ANNOUNCES SOLES AND SPOKES AWARD WINNERS
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Area Transportation Study (CATS) has selected the winners of its 2003 Soles and Spokes Awards for Excellence. This was the third presentation of the biennial awards, which celebrate outstanding improvements to the walking and cycling environments in northeastern Illinois.
The awards were presented during a pedestrian design workshop on February 25. The workshop was one of an occasional series of events held to promote sharing of walking and cycling information and design techniques. Pace Suburban Bus Service co-sponsored the workshop.
In addition to serving as co-sponsor of the pedestrian design workshop, Pace also received an award for its Bikes on Buses program. When asked why a transit company would champion pedestrian and bicycle issues, Barbara Ladner, manager of product development for Pace, replied: "Both bike riders and pedestrians are important customer bases for Pace. Supporting bicycle and pedestrian activities makes good business sense for us because many of our riders are also cyclists, and all of our riders are pedestrians at some point during the day."
Award winners were chosen from a pool of 37 nominees submitted by individuals, organizations, public agencies, municipalities and private businesses.
An awards evaluation committee consisting of representatives from the fields of planning, transportation, advocacy and public health selected the award recipients. The members of the committee were Mary DeBacker, of Parsons Brinckerhoff; Don Kopec, of the Chicago Area Transportation Study; Jim LaBelle, of Chicago Metropolis 2020; Dr. Matt Longjohn, of Children’s Memorial Hospital; and Chad Riddle, of the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The objectives of the Soles and Spokes Awards for Excellence are to:
- Recognize efforts to promote and encourage biking and walking.
- Publicize new projects and programs that promote and accommodate walking and biking.
- Encourage agencies that are trying to accommodate walking and biking to continue or expand their efforts.
- Raise awareness of "best practices," particularly those that could be easily replicated by others. Best practices range from good design to creative funding to model processes.
- Raise awareness of the diversity of projects and programs that can improve the walking and biking environments.
A wide variety of projects were honored with awards, ranging from innovative volunteer efforts such as Bike Valet Parking at the Grant Park Film Festival, to a multi-million dollar pedestrian bridge over I-294 in Elk Grove Village.
"The diversity of the award recipients illustrates how thoughtful, creative projects and programs can make walking and cycling safer, more pleasant, and more frequent transportation choices in our region," said Gin Kilgore, CATS transportation planner.
Four types of awards were presented: Regional Awards, Community Awards, Individual Awards and an Award for Outstanding Innovation. Following is the list of award recipients:
Soles and Spokes Regional Awards
Outstanding Regional Impact
- The Chicago Transit Authority Bike and Ride Program.
- Pace Suburban Bus Service Bikes on Buses Program.
- The Village of Schaumburg's Sponsorship of the CMAQ Bike Rack Program.
- The Kane County Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
Soles and Spokes Community Awards
Sustained Commitment to Walking and Cycling
- Chicago Department of Transportation (for Mayor Daley's Bicycle Ambassadors, Chicago's Bicycle Rack Program, Implementation of Chicago's Streets for Cycling Plan and Chicago's Lakefront Access Study).
Outstanding Community Redevelopment
- City of Elgin Riverfront/Center City Master Plan.
Outstanding Community Connection
- Elk Grove Community Bridge.
- Barrington Bikeway and Flint Creek Culvert.
Outstanding Trailblazing
- Lombard -- Illinois Prairie Path/Great Western Trail Amenities Upgrade.
- Lemont -- Extension of the Illinois & Michigan Canal Trail.
- Merrionette Park -- Walking Path.
Soles and Spokes Individual Awards
Outstanding Individual Contribution to Walking
- State Representative Patti Bellock and Maryann Romanelli for Hinsdale Pedestrian Activities and Walk-To-School Day.
Outstanding Individual Contribution to Cycling
- Lee Ravenscroft and the Working Bikes Cooperative
Soles and Spokes Award for Outstanding Innovation
- Bike Valet at the Grant Park Film Festival
CATS has assembled a booklet that contains detailed descriptions of all winning and nominated projects, including contact information. Visit www.catsmpo.com/bikeped to download a copy. In the coming weeks, a photo gallery will be added to accompany the project descriptions.
CATS is committed to encouraging the use of walking and bicycling as viable and desirable transportation options. In keeping with this commitment, CATS is developing the region's first comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle transportation plan.
We invite the public to share insights and experiences as pedestrians and/or bicyclists within northeast Illinois through our new online survey; CATS will use the information to help make walking and bicycling trips in the region as pleasant and efficient as possible. The survey can be accessed through the plan's Website at www.solesandspokes.com.