43 organizations earn Bicycle Friendly Business awards

Today, the League of American Bicyclists honors 43 organizations with Bicycle Friendly Business awards from its Fall 2020 round of applications. The 43 businesses join a movement of 1,406 Bicycle Friendly Businesses with a shared belief: bikes mean business. In addition to the 27 new and 16 renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses in the Fall 2020 round, two organizations earned honorable mentions, a stepping stone for those working towards being more welcoming to people who bike. 

See the list of Fall 2020 BFBs here

“It has become sort of a tradition at the League to kick off a New Year with Bicycle Friendly Business awards,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “After facing the myriad challenges of 2020, it’s inspiring to start 2021 by recognizing the efforts of businesses across the country to be more welcoming to people who bike.” 

The Fall 2020 round of awards marks the ascendance of Tampa, Florida, to the top of the list of cities in America with the most Bicycle Friendly Businesses. With 66 Tampa-based businesses having earned an award for being welcoming to people who bike, the Florida city overtakes Fort Collins, Colo., for the top spot. Tampa’s success is thanks to collaborative efforts among the city, the grassroots advocacy organization Bike/Walk Tampa Bay, and local businesses and entrepreneurs like the Tampa Downtown Partnership, which advanced from Gold to a Platinum-level award in the Fall 2020 round. 

“In Tampa, we are so proud of our business community for embracing bike-friendliness,” said Tampa Mayor and cyclist, Jane Castor. “We are committed to the Vision Zero mission of achieving safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all–and we need everyone on board to achieve our goal. There’s nothing better than being able to bike to your favorite local coffee shop for some cafe con leche or a Cuban sandwich! But biking isn’t just a fun way to explore our beautiful city, it’s also an important mobility option that allows folks to commute to where they work, live and play. As we continue Transforming Tampa’s Tomorrow, we look forward to working with our business community to continue supporting bike-friendliness and retain our titles as the #1 City for Bicycle Friendly Businesses.”

Christine Acosta, founder of Pedal Power Promoters, a social enterprise advancing bicycle-friendliness, worked with many of the businesses in Tampa, and noted, “Each business has its own reasons to become a Bicycle Friendly Business, but most cite improving safety as a top priority. Business leaders want to know how to improve bike-friendliness and active transportation and using the BFB application as our framework, we’ve been able to elevate roadway safety literacy in a big way.” 

The Bicycle Friendly Business program is a means for all types of businesses to improve the well-being of their employees and their communities. In 2021, it’s with heightened awareness of the current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic that we spotlight three medical centers renewing their Bicycle Friendly Businesses certifications. The Gold-level Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass., the Silver-level St. John’s Health in Jackson, Wyo., and the Bronze-level Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health in Lancaster, Pa., collectively employ nearly 14,000 people and serve an even larger population. The three hospitals this round are among the 80 medical centers and healthcare providers in the Bicycle Friendly Business program employing more than 130,000 workers. While totaling only six percent of all Bicycle Friendly Businesses, medical centers and hospitals employ 21 percent of the total number of people working at Bicycle Friendly Businesses across the country. 

“Hospitals and healthcare providers have long been a natural fit for the BFB program, with those employers recognizing the obvious health and wellness benefits of active commutes for their employees,” said Amelia Neptune, the League’s Bicycle Friendly America Program Director. “Some of the best Bicycle Friendly Businesses think beyond the commute, too. At St. John’s Health in Jackson, Wyoming, employees have access to discounted bikeshare memberships so they can complete errands around town by bike before taking longer bus rides home.” 

The Fall 2020 Bicycle Friendly Businesses include 16 Bronze-level awards, of which 15 were first-time applicants; 15 Silver-level awards, of which seven were first-time applicants, six renewed at Silver, and two upgraded from Bronze; 10 Gold-level awards, of which five were first-time applicants, one renewed at Gold, and four upgraded from Silver; and two Platinum-level awards, with both the Tampa Downtown Partnership and RDG Planning & Design in Omaha upgrading from Gold. 

“In 2020, so many Americans’ lives were disrupted and routines changed,” said Nesper. “And so many Americans turned to bicycling, whether to ride to their healthcare job or lead their kid’s physical education class or pick up a six-pack from the local brewery. Bicycle Friendly Businesses played such an important role in making 2020 the year of the bike, and these BFBs honored today will help make 2021 even better for people who bike and the communities they live and work in.”

• Click here to see the Fall 2020 list of this round’s awards and Honorable Mentions
• Click here to read the full list of all current BFBs
• Or explore the interactive BFA awards map: https://bikeleague.org/bfa/awards 

To learn more about the BFB program, or to apply before the next deadline on February 11, visit the League online at www.bikeleague.org/business