Bike Share Programs Build Better Business
What does it mean when Facebook and Target both earn recognition as Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Businesses, a designation held by fewer than a dozen companies nationwide?
It means that developments in corporate bike share programs have reached an all-time high; that Nasdaq 50 and Fortune 100 business alike see the value of bike investments; that sectors as diverse as tech and retail and climates as different as Silicon Valley and Minneapolis, can and do support corporate cultures that take advantage of bikes for everyday use.
Bike friendly tech companies
The League of American Bicyclists announced 80 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses. A number of biggies among them: Facebook and Target with Platinum, LinkedIn with Gold, and 3M and Groupon with Bronze.
Facebook, with 4,000 employees in Menlo Park CA, and rapidly growing, leads the tech sector in bike friendliness. This video highlights many of the reasons they are Platinum.
“Our bike program exemplifies our ongoing commitment to providing sustainable transportation alternatives to our employees,” said Jessica Herrera, Facebook’s Transportation Program Manager. “Bikes are an integral part of our culture – so much so, our campus resembles Amsterdam with bikes throughout!”
She continued: “Our full-service Transit & Bike Hub provides same-day bike repairs, safe cycling and bike maintenance classes, guided commute rides and bike events. We have a large fleet of campus bikes, intern and loaner bikes, as well as bikes for fitness and recreational rides. And to help make cycling accessible for everyone, we’re working with our local communities to improve the bike infrastructure.
Target, with 10,000 employees at its Minneapolis, MN headquarters, has made a serious commitment to being bike friendly. Bike commuting amenities are seamlessly woven into the fabric of their new corporate headquarters, with top-notch bike facilities and on-site bike repairs. In addition, Target provides incentives to ride, offers free NiceRide bikeshare memberships, holds monthly safe riding and maintenance classes, and employs a full-time bicycle coordinator.
“The health and well-being of our team members is a top priority for Target, and we’re committed to offering the tools and resources they need to reach their well-being goals,” said David Marquis, senior director, Corporate Real Estate, Target.
LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, has an impressive bike culture that runs the entire corridor from San Francisco to the heart of the Valley. Their program includes a large fleet of company bikes; themed rides like their Thanksgiving “Gobble Wobble”; and incentives to ride with tie-ins to Wellness and Sustainability.
Investment in bike share programs is becoming standard in American businesses, as companies see how bikes help achieve health and wellness goals, overcome transportation woes, and improve employee retention and morale. When thought leaders such as Facebook and Target find value in extensive bike share programs, it signals a powerful business tool finding its place.
All 80 Bike Friendly Business award winners have worked hard to develop best-in-class bike share programs. Please join us in celebrating their efforts and promoting them to the next wave of businesses ready to embrace bike friendliness as a better way of doing business.
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