Mozilla’s bike share program: momentum to their mission
Promoting openness, innovation and opportunity on the Internet. That’s Mozilla’s mission.
So it’s no surprise that when the friendly internet non-profit expanded operations and opened an office in San Francisco, they made a deliberate decision to have a bike share program.
Why?
Because bikes are socially and environmentally responsible. They’re healthy, fun and make the workday better. They contribute positively to community. Bikes save money in parking, transit and healthcare costs. They’re a simple and inexpensive way to make a big impact.
With an office in the historic Hills Bros Building at the base of the Bay Bridge, transportation and parking are a challenge to Mozilla. Fortunately, most Mozillians who commute to this office live within four miles. And the office is within easy cycling distance to BART, Caltrain and the Ferry Building.
Mozilla CFO, Jim Cook, wanted a way for employees to easily get around for lunch and errands, travel between San Francisco and Mountain View offices, and commute to and from home.
Mozilla turned to Bikes Make Life Better for help planning and implementing its bike share programs.
To fulfill two different needs, Mozilla launched a fleet of custom-branded bikes for employees to get around San Francisco and Mountain View and another fleet of custom folding bikes to help Mozillians commute between company offices using Caltrain.
Mozilla’s city bikes are Public’s C7 model, a seven-speed bike designed for city and commuter use, in keeping with Dutch bike style. Customization by Bikes Make Life Better included innovative branding of the frame, fenders, panniers and even the bell in Mozilla colors, with help from Martin Sign Co.
For its folding bikes, Mozilla went with a fleet of custom-branded Dahon bikes to help Mozillians who commute between company offices using Caltrain, the local commuter train service.
Taking the train is a great way to travel the Peninsula between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, but commuters have the issue of getting to and from the station, or what’s commonly referred to as the “first and last mile.” If they bring their own full-size bike on the train, they run the risk of being bumped, as the limited bike cars fill up fast during key commute times.
Mozilla kept its program simple with a reception-desk check in and out system. Employees are asked to return the city bikes within the day, but they may take the folding bikes home to use the next day for the commute. The company and employees win by avoiding car and parking expenses, including time lost in transit.
Sharing resources and collaborating on innovative solutions is the Mozilla way.
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