Appreciating your bike commuters!

For those not already in the know, in 2019 May 13-19 is National Bike to Work Week. Commuters are encouraged to ride in all week, especially “BikeThere!” Day on that Friday, May 17th. Several employers make a concerted push to increase their share of commuters arriving on two wheels by providing ‘energizer stations’ with water and snacks for cyclists passing by, and offering breakfast, stickers, swag items, or other incentives for employees who choose to take a more active way to work. But why all the fuss? What’s different or important about bike commuters?

First and foremost, reseach shows that employees who commute to work by bike perform better in their job duties, experience less stress, and take fewer sick days. (Marginalia) Commuters who cycled to work also had a 41% lower risk of dying from all causes than people who drove or took public transport. They also had 52% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, and 40% lower risk of dying from cancer.” (Forbes) Cyclists also reported the highest overall happiness aside from those who walked and took commuter trains. (Citylab)

Aside from just being happier and more productive, think about the resources your office expends on parking. Whether that’s managing constrained space in a parking deck or lot or the amount you pay for each space, a cyclist consumes a fraction of that space in a rack often provided by your municipality (or forward-thinking property management). Those parking fees add up, and if you’re subsidizing them or passing the costs onto your employees, everyone would be happier without that burden. It’s important to consider if your employee health and transportation benefits are aligned so that active, healthy transportation modes are incentivized.

Conversely, if your policy is to subsidize parking; your money may be working against your company health and sustainability goals! Make sure that drivers pay at least some part of the parking they consume, and if you do subsidize it, make sure you have a policy to put active commuters on an equal footing like parking cash-out. Those HR benefit policies aren’t just a way of attracting and retaining employees, they’re a statement of your values and a useful set of incentives to lead employees to healthy, sustainable habits that will save your organization money in the long run.