13 Bicycle Friendly Business Awards Reflect Resilience and Challenges

Today, the League of American Bicyclists announced 13 companies earned Bicycle Friendly Business awards in its Summer 2020 round of awards, along with two earning Honorable Mentions. The Bicycle Friendly Business program recognizes organizations that have taken steps to make biking an easy option for employees or customers. Including the Summer 2020 round of awards (PDF), there are 1,378 businesses in the program (PDF), which demonstrates their commitment to the movement to build a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.

“This round of Bicycle Friendly Business awards reflects how companies are finding ways to improve the well-being of their neighbors and communities—in one of the most challenging times—through the power of biking,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “We know biking is good for you, it’s good for your community, and for these Bicycle Friendly Businesses, it’s been good for their resilience.” 

The Summer 2020 round of Bicycle Friendly Business awards includes seven organizations new to the program, three earning upgraded awards, and three renewing at the same level award. Of the three Platinum-level awards this round, the non-profit Bike Walk Wichita moved up from its previous Gold-level to become the first Platinum in the state of Kansas, while New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado, and The Bike Center in Santa Monica, California, each renewed their long-standing Platinum status. Businesses earn Platinum status by meeting high standards across four focus areas and by demonstrating leadership at the local or national level. In the case of New Belgium Brewing and The Bike Center, both applications noted their efforts to utilize e-assist cargo bikes as fleet vehicles. 

Five of the 13 businesses earning awards this round are bike shops, highlighting the critical role local bike shops play in the movement to make biking better for everyone–and now more than ever with more Americans biking. August 2020 data from Eco-Counter shows the number of people biking was up 21% on weekends in August 2020 versus August 2019 and was up 8% on weekdays. In their renewal application, Wheelworks Bicycle Stores (which upgraded from Bronze to Silver) in Belmont, Massachusetts, wrote, “We are hopeful that this unexpected surge in interest in bikes for diversion and transportation for the whole family will lead to longer term urban solutions that welcome more bike use, more bike commuting, and more safety on local roads for cyclists.” 

“There is a bike boom happening across the country and we’re grateful for Bicycle Friendly Businesses that are taking steps, big and small, that enable their employees, customers, neighbors and people in their communities to choose to bike,” said Nesper. 

In Venice, Florida, Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Business Bicycles International (photo at right) does that through their Bike-o-rama events, where the shop’s mechanics head out into the community: “We are able to meet people that may not have means of transporting the bicycle around town and would never go inside a bike shop. By coming to them, they are able to get a professional safety check on their bicycle and ask any questions and have one on one time with our certified trained staff.”

Bicycle Friendly Business awards are one facet of the League’s Bicycle Friendly America program, which also awards universities and communities. Bicycle Friendly America empowers local advocates and leaders with the tools and resources to build places that are more welcoming to people who bike. The nearly 1,400 total Bicycle Friendly Businesses nationwide include everything from government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, airports, schools, restaurants, and other employers, all united in a commitment to transform American workplaces to be more welcoming to both customers and employees who bike.

As part of the Bicycle Friendly America network, businesses, communities, and universities have access to a variety of tools and technical assistance from the League to become even more welcoming to people who bike. 

To learn more about the BFB program, or to apply, visit the League online at www.bikeleague.org/business.