44 New and Renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses Making Biking Better 

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the League of American Bicyclists celebrates 44 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses, who join the ranks of 1,480 other BFBs in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The League launched the Bicycle Friendly Business program 16 years ago to recognize and assist companies that demonstrate commitment towards building a more welcoming atmosphere for bicycling employees, customers, and the community. Find the full list of current BFBs here, and the latest round of awards and Honorable Mentions here. 

“We’re proud to celebrate this round of new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses who are investing their resources to not only build up bicycling in the workplace but in their communities as well,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “It takes collaboration to build an America where every person can safely and easily choose to bike, and we applaud each of the 1,480 Bicycle Friendly Businesses pedaling alongside us to power this movement.”

In this round of awards, one of the most notable trends was the influx of awards arising from local efforts to promote the benefits of being a Bicycle Friendly Business and encourage places to apply. One effort by the University of South Florida’s Center for Urban Research in Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community St. Petersburg, Florida resulted in six new Bronze BFBs and one new Silver. A BFB “bootcamp” hosted by Bronze-level BFB Experience Fayetteville in Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community Fayetteville, Arkansas saw success as well, with one renewing Silver BFBs, four new Bronzes, and one new Honorable Mention. This data tells a compelling story – that local businesses make biking better when they work together for inspiration and support. Collaboration is key to a strong community, and Bicycle Friendly Businesses can play an important role in shaping that success. 

Crank Works Bicycles, a new Gold-level BFB in Brooksville, Florida, is one business with exciting and innovative approaches to local collaboration. According to their application, “We cross-promote bicycling with local businesses with a show we call ‘Bike Brooksville’ where we visit a different business on a different bike in each episode. We interview the business owner and also feature riding around our town to expose people to all types of biking, all the places to ride, the bike amenities, and the interesting places to see. The businesses also spread the word on our efforts.”

Another approach to getting more people on bikes is to improve local infrastructure. While most Bicycle Friendly Businesses can only advocate for improved bike infrastructure in their communities, some have the ability to make a direct impact on local biking conditions: local city governments that apply to the BFB program as employers.  The Gold-level Bicycle Friendly Community of Ann Arbor, Michigan, joined the BFB program in this round as a Silver-level BFB, one of four local governments earning new BFB awards this round. Per the City of Ann Arbor’s BFB application, “Not only does our business strive to have its employees bike, but through our work, we are getting the community to bike more. Our city has 3.5% of our population that bikes compared to our seven-county region which is 0.3%. We have documented changes in commuting patterns for single occupancy vehicles and have been able to reduce posted speed limits and provide for more people-focused designs as a result of these changes.” 

From bike shops to government agencies, we’re proud to see BFBs of all shapes, sizes, and structures making biking better. One of our largest applicants in this round is Oregon Health and Science University (OSHU), a renewing Platinum-level BFB in Portland, Oregon. Clocking in at 18,051 employees, OSHU takes on a myriad of approaches to not only support those employees (such as free bike valet) but to connect the wider community with better biking. One notable effort is their Bike Loaner program, described as a “personalized, multi-stage approach to helping people access bikes.” According to OSHU’s application, “Employees, students, contractors, vendors, and volunteers are all encouraged to apply. When a bike becomes available, they can choose from electric, non-electric, and multiple sizes of bikes (if the bike size varies). At the end of the rental they are interviewed on their experience and given a voucher for $200 ($300 for e-bikes) toward the purchase of a bike of their own.” 

If your business would like to join the League’s growing movement to build a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone, submissions for the Spring 2024 round of the Bicycle Friendly Business program are due on March 5th at 11:59 PM PT. 

Apply for BFB Status

About the League Of American Bicyclists

Since 1880, the League of American Bicyclists has been people-powered, with a goal to make bicycling safer and easier as a means of transportation and recreation. Today, the League continues to improve lives and strengthen communities through bicycling. We are more than 200,000 members and supporters strong with more than 1,000 state and local advocacy groups and bike clubs as well as thousands of businesses, universities, and communities together leading the movement to create a Bicycle Friendly America for everyone. 

About the Bicycle Friendly Business Program

Bicycle Friendly Business awards reflect local leaders’ ongoing work to build better places to bike and evaluate those efforts as part of a national movement. Each of the five levels of the Bicycle Friendly Business award – diamond, platinum, gold, silver, and bronze, plus an honorable mention category – provide a clear path for businesses to continuously improve. Visit bikeleague.org/business to learn more about the BFB program.