2026 Blinkie Awards | Friday, May 8, 2026 at 7 PM

Propel ATL is thrilled to invite you to our annual Blinkie Awards. This year's Blinkie Awards will celebrate some of Atlanta's most dedicated sustainable transportation advocates. In addition to inspirational stories from our award winners, we’ll have music, food and drinks, bike valet, and door prizes representing our walk/bike/roll/transit mission.

Door prizes: Specialized Globe Haul E-Bike (refurbished), Abbadabba's gift card, and more!

Introducing the Blinkies host: Mark Kendall! Mark Kendall is an Atlanta-based comedian. Along with his production partner, Bill Worley, he is the co-founder of CoolCoolCool Productions, where they use comedy to encourage civic engagement. Their videos were named “Best Reason to Laugh” by Atlanta Magazine in 2021. Mark is currently the co-host of the podcast "What's Good Atlanta?" for WABE/NPR. While studying film at Northwestern University, he completed the Comedy Central Chris Rock Summer School Program, where he pitched jokes at “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.” Mark was named best Professional Funnyman by Creative Loafing in 2015 and was the Readers Pick for Best Comedian in Creative Loafing Atlanta in 2019. Follow Mark on Instagram.

Tickets: General admission tickets to the Blinkie Awards are $60. Day-of general admission tickets will go up to $70, so don't wait to secure your spot!

Host Committee: Go the extra mile and join the Host Committee! You'll receive:

Admission for six people to the Blinkie Awards and VIP Social at 6PM
Recognition at the Blinkie Awards, listing in pre- and post-event communications
A dedicated post on this page listing your name and/or company
Exclusive participation in selecting the Propel ATL Transportation Media Award winner.

Getting There:

Walking & Cycling: Wild Heaven - West End is located in the Lee + White complex along the Beltline Southwest Trail. Two Wheel Valet will provide free Bike Valet services for the event in the courtyard behind the venue.
MARTA: Wild Heaven - West End is a 0.7 mile walk from the West End station or catch a bus. MARTA bus routes are changing April 18th! Routes 68, 71, and 81 will still serve the area. Learn more about the NextGen bus network here: https://itsmarta.com/nextgen2.aspx
Driving: parking at Lee + White has changed from last year. All cars are required to register upon arrival. Validation available at event registration table. More info at leeandwhiteatl.com/faq.

Accessibility: Wild Heaven - West End is fully accessible with a ramp entrance to the venue from the parking lot on White Street.

Dress: Commuter Chic - Dressy casual that is comfortable and durable enough to withstand a walk, a crowded train or a bike ride, and polished enough to let you know you are enjoying a night on the town! All bag sizes are allowed.

2026 Blinkie Awards Sponsors

Special thanks to:

Kupcakerie for providing dessert
Golda Kombucha for providing complimentary kombucha at check-in

Interested in becoming a sponsor or joining the Host Committee? Email us at development@letspropelatl.org!

2026 Blinkie Awards Winners

🌟 Amber Berg & Tejas Kotak: Volunteer Impact Award

Amber Berg is a transportation planner with Alta Planning + Design and an advocate for transportation safety. Tejas is a Transportation Planner at ARC where he focuses on safety, climate change, and data analyses. Together, they supported Propel ATL's crash report, “The Human Cost of Mobility,” by verifying, analyzing, and mapping crash data across metro Atlanta.

🌟 Atlanta Bike Bus Program: Safe Routes to School Award

Atlanta Bike Bus is a coalition of parents and neighbors creating weekly opportunities for kids and families to learn how to bike commute in a joyous group setting. The bike bus rides a fixed route to school every Friday morning with riders joining along the way. They currently have rides at 8 different schools across the metro area and are always looking to help start more.

🌟 Atlanta Councilmember Jason Winston: Safe Streets Champion Award

Jason Winston has represented Atlanta’s District 1 on the City Council since 2022 and was re-elected in 2025 to continue delivering results rooted in community, service, and solutions. Jason serves on the Community Development and Human Services Committee and the Committee on Council. He was also named Co-Chair of the Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative Commission, a 2026 effort focused on ensuring every neighborhood has access to the tools and resources needed to thrive.

🌟 Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine: Institutional Leadership Award

The Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is committed to advancing health equity through community-centered research, policy advocacy, and environmental change. Through the MSM REACH Program, our team works alongside residents of Southwest Atlanta and across Fulton counties to reduce chronic disease disparities and create healthier, more active communities for Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino populations. Through walk audits, listening sessions, stakeholder engagement, and data-driven advocacy, our team ensures that the voices of legacy residents shape the policies and streets of their own neighborhoods.

🌟 Dope Pedalers: Expanding the Movement Award

Started in 2015, Dope Pedalers is a community minded bike club open to any and everyone looking to enjoy the pleasures of biking, networking and improving the communities in which we ride, work and live in. They see the benefit of maintaining a fitness regimen via cycling as well as bringing people from a variety of backgrounds together.

🌟 Krystle Chanel Terry: Community Storytelling Award

Krystle Chanel is an Atlanta-based artist and social practitioner whose work bridges art, community health, and social impact. Through photography and film, she engages communities to explore how the social determinants of health, as well as the natural and built environment, shape daily life. Her layered visual narratives highlight neighborhood strengths, environmental concerns, and community stories.

🌟 Kristal Dixon & Thomas Wheatley: Transportation Media Award

Kristal Dixon has been a journalist for 19 years. She began her career in 2007 covering education and local government at the Cherokee Tribune in Canton. In 2012, she was hired as a local editor with Patch.com and covered several cities across north metro Atlanta. In 2019, she began working at the AJC where she covered education and local government. Kristal joined Axios in 2021 and is the co-author of the Axios Atlanta newsletter with Thomas. She lives in Channing Valley with her dog Hannah.

Thomas Wheatley is a reporter at Axios Atlanta. Previously, he was the news editor at Atlanta Magazine and Creative Loafing, Atlanta's long-running alt-weekly. He's a native Atlantan, a cyclist, and a dad. Thomas lives in Collier Heights with his family.

The 2026 Blinkie Awards

Propel ATL's annual fundraising event: meet and celebrate with the people working to make Atlanta a better city to walk, bike, take transit, run, and use wheelchairs, strollers, skateboards, rollerblades, and more.

Team Members