Leading U.S. companies become bicycle-friendly businesses

Today, the Washington D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists recognized 71 new Bicycle Friendly Businesses (BFBs) for their role in pedaling America toward greater prosperity and making their businesses welcoming to bicyclists.

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 The Fall Award winners included companies like Facebook (Gold award), Apple, Inc. (Silver), Burton Snowboards (Silver), Hewlett-Packard Company (Silver), General Mills (Bronze) and William-Sonoma Inc. (Bronze).

Locally, Kona Bicycles (Gold) and Sustainable Connections (Bronze) were added to the ranks of Washington State businesses and universities already recognized by the LAB.

These businesses are among a growing number of household names that have taken steps to encourage bicycling as a means to enhance the workplace, contribute to the community and improve their overall earnings.

"Businesses are the engine of our economy, but more and more companies are realizing the bicycle can be a powerful catalyst for increased profits, reduced health care costs, happier employees and more customers," stated Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists, in a press release. "We're excited to see the most innovative minds in technology, retail, and manufacturing voting for a morebicycle-friendly America and making significant contributions to our economic growth by promoting healthy, sustainable transportation."

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The League's Bike Friendly America program partly inspired Cascade's new bike-friendly business program, BizCycle.

Locally, Cascade has been supporting bike-friendly business practices for years. As we were making the business case for bicycling, local businesses were making the business case for BizCycle; they wanted specific guidance on actions that would increase bicycling, as well as a sense of how well they stack up against their local peers.  Further, they wanted a program that would addressed local context, challenges, and opportunities unique to Puget Sound.

Cascade responded with BizCycle, which will not only raise the bar locally among bike-friendly businesses, it should also put more local businesses, universities and cities on the national map.

Visit http://bizcycle.cascade.org for more information.