Bicycle Friendly Business

City of Minneapolis | Gold Level

Business Highlights: The City of Minneapolis as a workplace realizes the value of leading by example when it comes to improving employee health and job satisfaction. Bicycling to work and for work trips is an important part of realizing better health outcomes in the future. According to the City, “It is an added bonus that employees who bicycle are also more productive, spend less of their money on gas and parking, and help promote a positive image of the City to Minneapolis residents.” The City has put their money where their mouth is, the 2010 Budget included $75,000 to subsidize the cost of employee memberships in Nice Ride MN, the new local bike sharing system. The benefit was offered to employees in August 2010 and will be offered again in 2011.  The City robustly supports Bike Month and Bike to Work Day with the following measures: host education classes for event participants; recruit participation from City staff and members of the public; recruit businesses and other organizations to participate, donate food/prizes and act as celebration locations; design public event website and web registration form; sign up team participants and award top groups with prizes; organize biking and walking convoys/buses.  There is a strong sense of support of bicycling from the top with Mayor Rybak, a bike commuter himself, on down.