Encourage Businesses and Employers
Employers encouraging employees to bicycling to work is one of the best ways to get people back on their bikes. There are a variety of ideas, from building bike parking to offering access to a shower. For more tailored information on how to encourage your employees to ride, contact the League at 202-822-1333 or bikeleague@bikeleague.org.
Encourage Bike Commuting Employees
- Commuting nightmare
- It costs $3000 a year to own, operate and maintain a motor vehicle
- Employees demand higher wages and benefits to compensate for commuting costs
- Transit can be expensive, unreliable or non-existent
- Health hazards
- Exposure to traffic congestion increases heart rate, blood pressure, negative moods
- Long, arduous commutes to work, air pollution and a sedentary lifestyle are unhealthy
- Healthy employees are hardworking, on-time employees who take less sick time
- The bottom line
- Supporting bike commuting is less expensive than an in-office fitness facility
- Employers who appreciate workers' personal needs have less employee turnover
- Healthier employees can reduce health insurance costs; check with your carrier
- Better employees
- Employees will see commuting as personal time to relax instead of increasing stress
- Fit employees are more alert, more productive, perform better and more efficiently
- Bike commuting can be substituted for the gym, saving employees personal time
- Bike facilities
- Showers and private changing rooms are ideal
- Arrange for shower use at a local health club for your employees
- Hanging space or a standing wardrobe will provide ample storage for work clothes
- Parking and storage
- Indoor, secure bike parking near changing rooms on the ground floor is ideal
- For bike parking outdoors, use bike lockers or covered bike racks
- Bike parking should be accessible, visible and secure
- Route coordination
- Appoint a bike commuting coordinator to procure local bike route maps
- Help employees plan routes to work using low-traffic but direct roads and paths
- Encourage cyclist education among employees; educated riders are safe riders
- Financial incentives
- Partner with a local bike shop to offer employee discounts or maintenance clinics
- Offer subsidies for bike commuters who don't use car parking spaces
- Provide lunch for bike commuters; offer extra vacation time for daily bike commuters
- Promote it
- Form a company bicycle club or race team; increase your own exposure locally
- Allow bike commuters to dress more casually at work; organize a lunchtime race
- Ask the local bike shop to showcase new bike models during lunch
- Outreach
- Get local news media to cover your events
- Offer tips on how to start a bike commuting program to other local businesses
- Encourage employees to help co-workers make the switch to bike commuting
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