Best Practices for Bicycle Friendly Businesses

Best Practices for Bicycle Friendly Businesses

Offer Bicycle Parking

Install some parking racks in well-lit highly visible areas close to the front of the parking lot. If you can't install parking racks right away allow employees to bring their bike inside and store it in a locker or beside their desk.

Fun Fact about Bicycle Parking – About eight to twelve bicycles can park in the same amount of space as a single car.

Offer Shower Facilities

If you already have showers available for employee use that's wonderful! If you don't find out what it would take to install them in your office. If that is unfeasible work with a local gym to offer shower-only or discounted gym memberships for your employees. Also be sure to inform employees about any public showers available nearby.

If your business requires formal attire some employees may not be sure how they can do that and bike to work. Offer storage so employees can bring a week's worth of clothing to change into after arriving at work.

Create a Bicycle Commuter Incentive Program

Offer benefits for employees who pledge to bike to work. Benefits you could think about:

• Offer flextime or a fifteen-minute grace period for bicycle commuters.

• Provide travel reimbursement (.10/mile) for bicyclists.

• Allow employees to earn .25 hour vacation time per day of bicycle commuting.

• Provide a pool of company-owned loaner bikes for employees that cannot purchase their own immediately and for short trips.

• Provide reimbursement for purchase of a bicycle and accessories.

• Work with local bike shops to offer discounts to your employees when they bring their bike in for maintenance.

• Recognize employees for their dedication by giving awards to those who bicycle commute the most.

• Donate money to an organization for every mile that employees commute

Offer a “Guaranteed Ride Home” program

Some extreme situations make it impossible for bicycle commuters to ride home such as mechanical failure, bad weather, or emergency at home. If this happens then bicycle commuters may be given a ride, borrow a company car, or get their cab fare reimbursed.

Inform your Employees about the benefits of Bicycle Commuting

Offer a lunch and learn workshops to inform employees about the benefits of bicycle commuting and inform them on how to choose the correct bike and maintain it properly.

Create a Bike-Buddy Program

If a couple employees can commute together they will be more likely to do so. Create ads for employees to get in touch with each other to begin bicycle commuting together.

Help new commuters find routes

Use local maps to help new commuters find the route from home to work that will be best for them. Bike routes are usually much different than routes for cars so keep that in mind when planning a bicycle commuter route.

Participate in Bike to Work Week

Getting involved in Bike to Work Week is a wonderful way to jump start your bicycle commuter program. Encourage your employees to register for Bike to Work Week and offer incentives to those who participate. Create your own events for Bike to Work Week as well.