BFB 4 E’s: Encouragement

Our Bicycle Friendly Business, Community and University programs are all guided by what we call the 4 E’s.

• Education
• Encouragement
• Engineering
• Evaluation and Planning

These principles guide how each entity is evaluated and eventually awarded an honor. The latest 161 Bicycle Friendly Businesses, which we announced just last week, excelled in many of these areas. Because there were so many great examples and innovative ideas in each application, we decided to share! Today’s post includes some of the best Encouragement initiatives we learned about in this latest round of applications. Stay tuned this week for posts on the rest of the E’s!

Cogentes

Milledgeville, GA

We created an incentive program in 2014 whereby employees could earn 1 day of vacation for every 250 miles they rode and earn up to a total of 5 days. We had 100% participation in this program with 4 employees earning a total of 6 days of paid vacation. We also gave away 2 netbook computers to the 2 employees logging the most miles in 2014. We also have implemented a program where we pay for an employees annual membership to the Bicycling Club of Milledgeville and also provide a free pass to ride in 1 on the club’s annual cycling events. We also have a program whereby the company will provide financial assistance to employees to help with the purchase of their first bicycle to be used for commuting. As an encouragement to have employees participate in the 2014 National Bike Challenge, Tom Glover, Cogentes CEO, offered to host a company Labor Day party at Lake Sinclair if we had 100% participation in the challenge. The party was a BLAST!

Saturn Systems Software Engineering

Duluth, MN

We offer all employees, upon hire, a $400 credit to purchase a bicycle of their choice. To use the credit, employees have to pledge that they will bike commute to work, in whatever capacity and frequency they are able.

Starbucks HQ

Seattle, WA

In 2013 and 2014, over 300 Puget Sound Starbucks locations offered one free beverage per person to all bicyclists on Bike to Work Day. This sponsorship of the event boosted visibility and celebratory atmosphere of Bike to Work Day.

The Town Church

Fort Collins, CO

Part of our mission statement as a church is to engage the culture. We chose that because we want our people to be a part of the culture in which we’ve been placed. We have an icon for each piece of our mission. The icon for cultural engagement is a set of gears and a chain. We want to show our people and others that we are for cycling. 

Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital

Grand Rapids, MI

As a rehabilitation hospital we provide hand cycles and specially modified bicycles for adaptive sports program for use by both our inpatient and outpatient population. Additionally, our orthotics department uses a cargo bike to commute between campus buildings.