APBP Annual Awards

The Association of Pedestrian & Bicycle Professionals (APBP) announces the winners of its annual awards program to honor excellence in the profession. Five Professional of the Year awards and the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award were presented at the APBP 25^th Anniversary Webinar in September 2020.

The 2020 APBP Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Dr. Peter Furth, Professor of Civil Engineering, at Northeastern University. APBP is bestowing our most prestigious annual award to Dr. Furth for his enthusiasm as an educator, advocate, and researcher who elevated the discourse for better bicycling and walking while empowering professionals with proven research. His development of the Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress tool gave practitioners a new approach to assess community bicycling conditions. The training he provides to students and his contributions through the Transportation Research Board and APBP have been instrumental in bringing safe and sustainable multimodal networks into practice in North America. 

The APBP Professional of the Year Awards recognize the achievements of pedestrian and bicycle professionals made in the last twelve months in the private, public, research, and nonprofit sectors and one young professional under the age of 30.

Dr. Jennifer Dill, Professor at Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies & Planning, Director at the Transportation Research & Education Center, and Director at the National Institute for Transportation and Communities at Portland State University, receives the 2020 APBP Research Professional of the Year award for her contributions advancing the state of practice in bicycle and pedestrian research with a high degree of professional integrity. Dr. Dill addresses important research questions related to walking and bicycling, points out limitations, and suggests lines of future research. Her teaching and advice to students at Portland State University, her leadership through the Transportation Research Board and APBP, and her insightful thoughts related to equity inspire practitioners and researchers working in bicycle and pedestrian transportation. 

The 2020 Public Sector Professional of the Year award is being given to Armi De Francia. Armi serves as the Active Transportation Coordinator at the Town of Ajax and she is being honored for her unparalleled enthusiasm and commitment to improving our streets by combining her passions for equity and transportation. She has worked to advance our field and promote racial and social justice both on and off the job through initiatives such as the "Mini Conference on Racial Equity and Active Transportation", and by

transforming the Town of Ajax's transportation awareness campaign and overall engagement methods.

Tamika Butler, Esq., Founder + Principal of Tamika L Butler Consulting, LLC is awarded the 2020 Private Sector Professional of the Year for shining a light on inequality, inequity, & social injustice. Brave and fearless, Tamika shows up as her full, authentic self in all her work. Tamika has been instrumental in evolving the planning and transportation industry to be more inclusive, diverse and equitable.  Her message is an inspiration and a call to action for each of us to understand anti-racism and how anti-Blackness shows up in our work, and to listen, appreciate, and step outside our comfort zones in applying that knowledge.

The 2020 Non-Profit Sector Professional of the Year award goes to Michelle Lieberman, AICP, LEED AP, 

Consulting and Program Support Director of Safe Routes Partnership. Humbly imparting knowledge and wisdom within the industry, Michelle is a steady rock providing strength to her non-profit organization. Michelle brings energy, focus, and commitment to all her efforts, and to numerous communities throughout the United States that have benefited from her service.

Matt Pinder, Senior Designer at Alta Planning + Design, is being named APBP’s 2020 Young Professional of the Year. Matt's vast contributions to advancing the field of active transportation and creating space for all. Matt's relentless pursuit of excellence in design is furthering Canadian best practices for pedestrian and cycling facilities, which he matches with a conscious effort to draw attention to the role of equity in the active transportation field. Through his professional work as well as his volunteer initiatives such as BIKE MINDS, Matt's vision, determination and leadership are making communities better places to walk and bike.

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Awards Criteria 

The APBP Awards program began in 2000 with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Awards for Public and Private Sector Professionals of the Year were added in 2007; the Young Professional of the Year award was added in 2009; the Research Professional of the Year award was added in 2018.