NEWS

2025 Wheelie Award Winners Announced

November 13, 2025

Bike Santa Cruz County has announced the 2025 winners of the Wheelie Awards, an annual acknowledgment of excellent work in expanding and improving functionality and awareness of cycling throughout the region. The awards were presented at a reception held at the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County in Aptos on November 12, 2025. 

“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 individuals, businesses, and projects have been recognized: 

● Advocacy: Keith Bontrager

● Community Building: Santa Cruz Bike Party

● Education: Community Bike Collective

● Business Partner: Watsonville Cyclery

● Infrastructure: Green Valley Road Multipurpose Trail

● Infrastructure: Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lanes

● Infrastructure: Rail Trail Segment 7, Phase 2

● Bike Parking: Toadal Fitness Westside

● Honorable Mention: Santa Cruz Bikeway

The award recipients have one thing in common: They have dedicated effective time and energy supporting bicycling through advocacy and education,  community building, and delivery of transformative infrastructure to expanding cycling in our community. 

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MORE ABOUT THE WINNERS 

Keith Bontrager has gone above and beyond to make bicycling education engaging, accessible, and impactful in our community. His creative use of social media—especially his YouTube channel, where he records local bike routes set to timeless classic rock soundtracks—has inspired riders of all ages to explore, learn, and appreciate the joy of cycling.  These videos serve as practical educational tools, showcasing safe routes, navigation tips, and the beauty of riding in our region in a way that resonates with students and seasoned cyclists. Keith’s combination of creativity, persistence, and commitment has made him a cornerstone of bike education. He meets people where they are—online, on the road, and in the halls of public policy—making cycling more approachable, safer, and more connected to the broader community. 

Santa Cruz Bike Party is a volunteer-run celebration of community, fun, and safe cycling. Every second Friday of the month, the group gathers riders at Depot Park at 7 pm to roll out together to bring joy, light, and music to the streets of Santa Cruz. The themed rides attract anywhere from 100 to over 300 riders of all ages and backgrounds, creating one of the most vibrant monthly gatherings in the city. Each month’s theme adds a playful spark, from costumes and decorated bikes to creative lights and music. The energy is contagious and the rides showcase how joyful and safe cycling can be when we come together as a community.

Community Bike Collective (CBC) is rooted in community, equity and justice. Its cycling programs are free to local youth, families and community members with a focus on under-resourced and under-served youth in Santa Cruz County. If kids don’t know how to ride, CBC teaches them. If riders need a helmet, CBC gives them one. The organization engages youth through learning in action with hands-on activities including bike skills, life skills, self-care, community-care, healthy living and local history. CBC connects youth to the joys of bike riding and fosters a love of cycling and life.

Watsonville Cyclery received more nominations than any group or individual. Owner Jules Medajano has been involved in the development of better bike infrastructure in the Watsonville community for years, and has advocated for safer bike lanes.  He has been successful in getting a growing number of families in the Pajaro Valley to participate in cycling. 

Green Valley Road Multipurpose Trail  expands transportation options along Green Valley Road from Holohan Drive to Mesa Verde Drive in Watsonville, delivering on the County's commitment to safer, more accessible multimodal systems for residents and visitors. Key improvements include: a new paved two-way multi-use trail spanning the entire corridor; five upgraded Santa Cruz METRO bus stops complete with new shelters; enhanced road crossings for improved pedestrian safety; new landscaping throughout the project area; and  five public art installations that celebrate the Pajaro Valley.

Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lanes is a project that has enhanced safety for bicyclists and pedestrians and improved travel time reliability for bus riders and even drivers. This project provides a suite of improvements along 5.6 miles of the busiest segment of Soquel Drive from La Fonda Avenue to State Park Drive. The improvements include 2.7 miles of buffered and 2.4 miles of protected bike lanes on each side of the street. 

Rail Trail Segment 7, Phase 2 of the ambitious Rail Trail project opened in May, and it is short but sweet.  It runs 0.8 miles from the intersection of California Street and Bay Street on the Westside to the roundabout by the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, and functions as the final link between Natural Bridges State Beach and the wharf and its bracketing beaches:  Main and Cowells. It connects with its Phase 1 counterpart, running from Natural Bridges to the intersection of California and Bay, which has been fully functional since December 2020, and has a growing user base.  It is now possible to get to the wharf via a car-free path from many Westside neighborhoods.

Toadal Fitness Westside has been awarded BSCC’s first ever Bike Parking award.  Urban cycling professionals understand that the end-point in a car replacement trip is more attractive when proper and convenient parking is available.  In bicycle-friendly communities, zoning codes are being  revised to require ample and convenient bike parking.  Toadal Fitness installed over 26 individual bike parking inverted ‘U’ stands, an industry gold standard.  Inverted U bike stands are effective because they provide two points of contact, are relatively inexpensive, and allow for easy locking of both a bike's frame and wheel.  A short ride from the western-most point on the Rail Trail near Natural Bridges Drive enables cyclists travelling to the westside gym to ride to and from workouts and park with confidence steps from the facility’s front door.

Santa Cruz Bikeway is an 11-mile, segmented bike route designed to minimize exposure to car traffic. The Bikeway uses quieter streets, scenic car-free trails, and local shortcuts to connect neighborhoods. The pilot route ran from August 8th- October 8th, 2025 and helped riders of all experience levels feel more confident navigating Santa Cruz by bike. Surveys of users indicate 86% of respondents reported they felt “safe” using the route, 95% of respondents said they would like to see more designated low-stress routes like this in the Santa Cruz area, and 56% stated that the route encouraged them to ride more often.

Green Valley Road Multi-Use Trail Unveiled

August 29, 2025

Bike Santa Cruz County and the Pajaro Valley community celebrated the ribbon cutting for the new Green Valley Road Multi-Use Trail on August 28th.  The County of Santa Cruz project runs from Holohan Road at the Watsonville City Limits north to Casserly Road, passing the Pinto Lake parks and Amesti School. What was once a neglected and outdated facility is now a safe, protected Class 1 bike lane and pedestrian path, providing an active transportation option to access parks and schools in the Amesti area. It also links to the growing network of bike paths in Watsonville and the Pajaro Valley. The project even includes covered bus shelters for transit users and five public art installations along the two-mile route.

Addressing Road Safety. According to the Statewide Integrated Traffic Record System (SWITRS), between 2017 and 202, five people walking or biking were hit along this stretch. One person was killed, and three others were severely injured. This past November, a pedestrian was killed at the intersection of Green Valley Road and Amesti Road. These tragedies are part of a bigger pattern. As recently reported by Santa Cruz Local, people walking or biking in Watsonville die at a rate 70% higher than the county average, and that rate nearly doubled over the last decade. The new path directly addresses this crisis. It provides kids and families from the Amesti and Green Valley neighborhoods a protected way to reach Amesti Elementary School, Pinto Lake City Park,  Mesa Village Park, and open space at Pinto Lake County Park. By reducing conflict points with car traffic, the trail will lessen the probability of accidents, ease congestion around schools and parks, and make it possible for more people to choose walking or biking as a safe transportation option. The Green Valley Road Multi-Purpose Trail also strengthens and expands Watsonville’s larger bike network.

Bike Santa Cruz County works to expand safe cycling facilities just like this one. Safe transportation infrastructure helps to build healthier and better-connected communities. The Green Valley Road Multi-Use Trail is a great example of achieving these objectives. Congratulations, County of Santa Cruz and Pajaro Valley!

Media Coverage of the BSCC Rider Survey Report

July 29, 2025

This past month, Bike Santa Cruz County was featured in several local news stories about our 2025 Rider Survey Report. Lookout Santa Cruz wrote an article based on our report highlighting that only 2 percent of cyclists feel very safe, and 89 percent saw or experienced a crash or near-miss in the past year. They used our data to name Soquel Avenue, Mission Street, Capitola Road, River Street, and Water Street as high-risk areas that need attention from the local governments.

Lookout reporter Max Chun also reached out for a related article about how Santa Cruz County ranks second in California for bike crashes. The piece pointed to the need for protected bike lanes, better infrastructure, and a call for more courtesy. Our report was also covered in the Santa Cruz Sentinel and on KION-TV, which both focused on our recent survey report.

On July 9, two of our board members joined host PK Hattis on KSQD’s Talk of the Bay to talk through the report and what it means for riders in our county. We’ll share the recording soon if you missed it.

This kind of coverage helps keep bike safety in Santa Cruz County on everyone’s radar. It shows our work is having a positive impact in making arguments for better biking infrastructure, and it’s your support that makes it possible.

Bike Santa Cruz County’s “Pedaling Forward Together” 2025 Countywide Rider Survey Report

June 26, 2025

Bike Santa Cruz County (BSCC) today released its 2025 Rider Survey Report, a first of its kind look at where, why, and how local cyclists ride and what still keeps them up at night. The findings put safety front and center, shine a spotlight on especially dangerous corridors, and reveal growing impatience around the long promised Coastal Rail Trail. “Riders are telling us loud and clear: give us protected space from fast and heavy traffic and fix the roads we already use,” said Mikey Cohen, BSCC board member and survey lead. “This report turns anecdotes into hard numbers cities and the county can’t ignore.”

Key Findings

• Safety crisis: 89 percent of riders saw or experienced a crash or near-miss in the last year; only 2 percent feel “very safe” on local roads.

• Problem corridors: Soquel Ave/Dr, Mission St/Highway 1, Capitola Rd, River St, and Water St account for nearly half of all bike-related crashes in 2024 and top the survey’s “worst streets” list.

• Top fix: 55 percent say protected bike lanes on busy streets are the single most important upgrade; more than double any other option.

• Rail-Trail impatience: 54 percent still favor building both rail and trail, but 43 percent now lean “Trail Only” or “just build something,” citing cost and delay fatigue.

• E-bike surge: 68 percent have ridden an e-bike; faster, heavier bikes are already shaping infrastructure needs.

Why It Matters

The overlap between riders’ responses and the 2024 TIMS (Transportation Injury Mapping System) crash data is “eerily perfect,” the report notes. Improving those five corridors would address both perceived danger and documented injury hot spots. Meanwhile, resolving Rail Trail uncertainty and opening trail mileage fast could defuse growing public frustration.

BSCC will share the report with city councils, the County Board of Supervisors, RTC staff, and local nonprofits to guide funding and design decisions. The report is available online HERE

Great Highway Becomes Car-Free!  Hello Sunset Dunes Park!

April 12, 2025

On March 14, 2025, a two-mile stretch of San Francisco's Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Boulevard permanently closed to vehicle traffic.  This transformation started during the COVID era, when cities were creating safe-distance open spaces for people.  The practice continued on weekends only after COVID subsided.  In November,  San Francisco voters approved Proposition K which paved the way for the permanent closure and park creation. 

On April 12, 2025 the two-mile linear 50–acre park was opened to the public.  Named Sunset Dunes, the linear park represents another example of successful reclamation of space devoted to vehicles for active transportation and open space, where residents and visitors can walk, bike, skate, and enjoy car-free access to the Pacific Ocean beaches.  

This transformational project continues a San Francisco tradition of reallocating motor vehicle space to active transportation mobility and open space.  The Chrissy Field complex and the Embarcadero waterfront are earlier examples.   Congratulations, San Francisco!

Links to more information:

SF Park and Rec

KQED Article

SF Bike Coalition

Bike Santa Cruz County Presents 2024 Wheelie Awards

November 18, 2024

Bike Santa Cruz County presented the 2024 Wheelie Awards to a programs and individuals making a positive impact on cycling in Santa Cruz County.  The awards acknowledge excellent work toward expanding and improving safety and awareness of cycling. The awards were presented at BSCC’s Wheels in Motion event on November 17 at Woodhouse Blending & Brewing in Santa Cruz. 

“In order to acknowledge the growing interest in cycling as a healthy and environmentally-friendly way to move through communities, we expanded the award categories we are recognizing this year,” says Amelia Conlen, Board Chair of BSCC. 

The following projects and individuals received awards: 

• Advocacy: Matt Miller

• Community Building:  Watsonville Community Bike Ride

• Education: Bay View Elementary School Bike Bus Program 

• Infrastructure: Ocean Street/Plymouth Street Repaving Project

• Business: Moved by Bikes

Advocacy Award winner Matt Miller is a Senior Program Specialist with Ecology Action’s Modo team, where he works on  transportation behavior change. He collaborates with local government, businesses, and NGOs, to create physical and social infrastructure to transition away from car centric planning and behavior.  From large scale community programs to helping launch a municipal e-bike rebate program, Matt has designed innovative approaches to get more people on bikes more often.  He built participation in the annual Biketober program from a few early adopters in 2017 to hundreds of employers and thousands of riders in 2024.

Watsonville Community Bike Ride was held August 24, 2024.  Hosted by Fourth District County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez and Watsonville Mayor Vanessa Quiroz-Carter, the ride helped demonstrate the ease of using bicycles to move around town.  The ride included a bike check and a helmet giveaway.  It was cosponsored by the City of Watsonville, Santa Cruz County Public Health, and the County of Santa Cruz. Over fifty community members participated.

Bay View Elementary School Bike Bus Program was developed with the assistance of Ecology Action’s Modo program.  A local version of a global movement that transports 30,000 children worldwide, introducing them to bicycles as a viable means of transportation for short trips.  Bay View initiated its Bike Bus program in 2023, and has held regular parent-led rides since then, attracting between 30 to 50 students per ride.

Ocean Street/Plymouth Street Repaving Project is a City of Santa Cruz project that includes a retrofit of striping and sidewalk design to better accommodate cyclists and pedestrians at a critical linchpin location at the terminus of the Highway 17 freeway where it becomes Ocean Street.  The retriping includes clearly-marked bike boxes, green Class 1 striping for bike lanes, and ADA ramp repaving for the sidewalks leading to the crosswalks at Ocean Street.  These facilities, while modest, are important pieces of street design that make cycling safer and consequently more attractive to users.  

Moved by Bikes was founded by Greg McPheeters in 2012 in Santa Cruz with the mission of creating simple, effective products that make it easier to “do more” with your bicycle.  MBB is passionate about outdoor recreation, sustainability, and developing high quality products that merge the two.  Their products include surfboard racks, trailers, valet racks, and dog runners.  Moved by Bikes has expanded the functionality of cycling to include recreational trips, and have become a world-wide success in the surfing world.

Community Bike Ride Celebrates Safe Cycling in Watsonville

Fri 30 AUG 2024

A vibrant group of community members, including youth and adults, came together for a bike ride in Watsonville, featuring the scenic Pajaro River Levee Path. District 4 Supervisor Felipe Hernandez and Watsonville Mayor Vanessa Quiroz-Carter led the ride, which began with a bike check-up, a giveaway of helmets and safety gear, and a discussion on safe riding practices.

The event featured insightful talks on:

• Lessons from the Netherlands on creating safe cycling cities and how Santa Cruz County can apply these ideas

• Cycling for recreation and transportation

• The benefits of cycling for physical and mental health

• The role of cycling in combating climate change

• Building community through cycling

• The importance of community members advocating for expanded bike infrastructure and safety projects

The ride concluded with cheerful conversations and free burritos, adding a festive touch to the day.

This successful event was made possible through the collaboration of Bike Santa Cruz County, Growing Greatness, Ecology Action, the City of Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, and the Public Health Department.

Santa Cruz County Cycling Club Announces 2024 Grant

Fri 23 Aug 2024

Santa Cruz County Cycling Club’s (SCCCC) mission is to bring cycling education to all levels of riders and encourage healthy lifestyles through education, friendship, teamwork and fun.

Money is budgeted annually to fund cycling related efforts within the Santa Cruz County community. Grants are limited to $1,000 per Grant Request and an organization may apply for up to $1,000 each year. Applicants are asked to attend the monthly board meeting when their grant is submitted to introduce themselves and answer any questions the board may have about their application.

Please submit questions and a Grant Request to info@santacruzcycling.org. Please include a budget with all Grant requests.

Past grant recipients include:

• Community Bike Collective

• The Bike Church

• UCSC Bike COOP

• Open Streets Santa Cruz

• SC Composite Mt Bike Team