Workplace Bike Month Toolkit
Bicycling is good for business and for the bottom line.
The Business Case for Bicycle Commuting
Bicycle commuting makes great business sense. Bike commuters are healthier and more productive employees. Use Bike Month toencourage bicycling at your workplace.
May is a great time to promote bicycling at your workplace, and the best time for beginners to get started biking.Leverage Bike Month events and programs to increase bicycling to and from your workplace, and generate momentum for onsite improvements.
Suggested to-do list
This sample timeline will help you plan for a fantastic Bike Month and inspire riders. You can find the full schedule of local Bike Month events here.
Before May
· Set a goal for your workplace (creating/promoting a worksite bike team, recruit new riders, plan a ride)
· Plan your own workplaceBike Month activities (see below for inspiration)
· Update internal website with bike commuting information and resources
· Schedule/host a bike commuting classinApril or May
· Encourage employees to attend the local bike month kick-off event
· Create a team on the National Bike Challenge website
o Promote the National Bike Challengeto your employees
o Recruit your CEO or a high-profile leader to participate
o Issue a challenge to business peers or competitors via the National Bike Challenge website
· Create a team for Tour de Cure
May
· Participate in Bike to Work Week, third week of May
· Organize a group ride to Bike to Work lunch, third Friday in May
· Feature bike commutersin your blog or newsletter
June
· Celebrate your organization orteam's efforts by organizing a fun awards ceremony or bike commuterbreakfast
· Share results and success stories with senior leadership and in your internal communications
Ongoing
· Poll participants for suggestions to increase bike commuting at your business
· Make strategic enhancements for bike commuting
· Work to become a Bicycle Friendly Business from the League of American Bicyclists
· Implement Physical Activity policies in your worksite. Sample policies.
· Promote Wichita Bike Paths
Inspire your employees
Bike commuters definitely respond to support, encouragement and incentives. Below is a list of suggestions to guide your Bike Month planning.
· Host a class for new commuters.
· Submit a compelling video about bicycling at your workplace.
· Propose theme days (lycra, business suits, tutus, super heroes, tweeds, etc).
· Organize free food for bicyclists (breakfast, lunch, or happy hour).
· Use your ridematching skills to pair new bike commuters with experienced riders.
· Raffle off fabulous prizes.
· Get your CEO to participate.
· Organize a CEO ride to your workplace.
· Stage a bicycle fashion show (demonstrate that bicycling is highly diverse and mostly normal.
· Schedule a lunch & learn with a Bike Walk Wichita speaker to highlight bike routes near the worksite
· Share inspiring stories via company newsletter, intranet, or blog.
Email templates
Feel free to use these templates to promote the National Bike Challenge via email, online, or newsletters. Graphics and additional promotional ideas can be foundhere. (Bike month website, National Bike Challenge)
Recruit a captain:
Dear ______,
Bike Month is coming up and ______(organization) will be participating in the National Bike Challenge. I'd like to encourage you to become an all-star team captain.
As a team captain, you can significantly increase bicycle commuting at ______(worksite). And we'll be backing you up with some fun events and incentives, including:
· Events
· Incentives
· Classes
· Other
To start a team, you simply sign up online, recruit coworkers to join your team, and encourage them to ride as much as possible beginning May 1st. Start your team today!
______(your name, title, department, contact information)
Encourage executive support
Dear ______(title)
I would like to encourage ______(business) to participate in Bike Month. Bicycle commuting makes great business sense. Bike commuters are healthier and more productive employees. Bicycle parking is a fraction of the cost and space of car parking. Bike commuting is especially valuable to me as an employee because ______.
The National Bike Challenge is a simple turn-key program that has significantly increased bicycle commuting among both new and experienced riders. Last year, the National Bike Challenge recruited 92, 637 riders who logged a combined 37,871,245 miles. Locally, Kansas placed 9th in the United States and Bike Walk Wichita recruited 380 riders for 159,71 miles. That's an impressive result.
What's more, it's very simple for businesses to participate. ______has been recruited as the team captain to recruit and encourage riders. The riders track their own trips online. The Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita provides a comprehensive business toolkit with email templates, newsletter blurbs, graphics, and inspiration.
At the very least, I'd like to ask you to promote the Bike Month to all staff. Please check out theBike Month websitefor information and resources.
Captain ______(your name)
______(team name)
______(business name)
______Department
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