Coronado Bicycle Event Makes Top 13 Picks List for SD County

The San Diego County Bicycle Coalition named its 13 top picks for bicycle-friendly achievements throughout the county this year, officials with the organization said Friday.

The list, which included major route improvement, government bicycling plans and open-street events, were celebrated during the third annual Holiday Joy Ride on Thursday night.

Among the coalition's "Big 13" were a San Diego City Council-adopted Bicycle Master Plan that laid out plans for the creation of a citywide bike network over the next 20 years.

"Bicycling transforms our city and our communities, and we need safer routes to encourage more people to ride to their jobs, local business districts and for everyday travel," Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Andy Hanshaw said after the plan's unanimous passage.

Also listed were New Belgium Brewing's "Tour de Fat," which raised more than $40,000 for local bicycling nonprofits; the sixth annual "Bike the Bay," in which thousands of riders traversed the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge; a city council-approved bike-share program set to roll out next year; a record number of "Bike to Work Day" participants; and CicloSDias, a cycling event to celebrate car-free streets.

Also during Thursday night's event, the Bicycle Coalition's "Golden Gear" awards were presented to those who made San Diego more bicycle-friendly in 2013.

Among them were New Belgium Brewing, which was named  Bike Friendly Business of the Year; Randy Van Vleck of City Heights Community Development Corporation, who was designated Advocate of the Year; and the San Diego Association of Governments, which was deemed Public Partner of the Year.