timstredwick

I would like information on any incentives offered by employers to encourage their employees to ride to work. I am particularly interested in incentives other than the provision of facilities such as extra flexy time, extra pay, interest free bike loans etc.
Over to you, thanks, any information gratefully recieved.
tim.

LittleBigMan

Tim,

I'm going to have a little fun with this one. I hope you don't mind, I have been a long time in this desert!

In all honesty, the best bike commuting incentive I ever had is the glorious feeling that comes from being the only bicycle commuter in the entire department where I work (two buildings, totalling 13 floors of employees.) In addition, there is being asked/told:

1) "How far did you ride?"
2) "It's raining out there! You're not riding home, are you?"
3) "How much weight have you lost, actually?"
4) "How many cars did you hold up today?"
5) "Ready for the road, eh?"
6) (thinking, but not saying, "You are very sweaty... ")
7) (looking, but not staring, at the parts of me from the neck down... )
8) "Be careful out there! (for the 13th time...you, too, be careful on that freeway ride of 140 mph!)"
9) "I rode my bike this weekend, you inspired me!"

To be frank, we government employees are bombarded with "Ozone Season" preaching, such as "carpool," "public transit," "work at home," (sounds like a winner...I guess I would have to go out for a lunchtime spin on the bike), blah, blah, blah. Here in Atlanta, we are under tons of political pressure to find alternative modes of transport due to non-compliance with federal air pollution standards.

I am still the only one who has figured out the solution.

Chris L

Just getting in a few more km of riding is enough incentive for me. My commute home always makes me feel better after a bad day.

Chris

RonH

Neither my last employer (large hospital, 5000 full-time and part-time employees) nor my current employer (30 employees) offer any type of incentives for bike commuting.

My last employer offered passes for public transportation and "prime", reserved parking spaces for carpoolers.
Bike commuters were allowed to park and lock their bikes in relatively unsecured bike racks that were not covered or protected. Cars were parked in parking decks that were patrolled and monitored by surveillance cameras. That sounds fair. :thumbdn:
I never saw a bike in one of the bike racks. I wonder why?

At my current place of employement, I am allowed to lock my bike in the warehouse. At least it is out of the weather and I can check on it during the day.
I am the only one who commutes by bike (14.5 miles) and I get the same comments Pete listed above.

I guess offsetting the cost of public transportation is the only incentive big government offers to employers. Cycling is not a viable alternative to solving the problems of air pollution and over-crowded streets and highways.

I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of empty or nearly empty buses I see each day.
So much for public transportation! :irritated

Perhaps you could point out some of the merits of cycling to your employer. He/she will not be interested in the health aspects of cycling, unless your company has a large number of health insurance claims.
Unfortunately he/she is usually only interested in how it will help the bottom line.

Personally I am not interested in incentives from my employer. The health benefits I get are incentive enough!!

ViciousCycle

timstredwick,
You may want to look into the book Bike Cult. Part of the book describes how some cultures and/or employers accomodate work bike commuters.

The author describes an employer in California who offers changing facilities and a hot towel service to employees, making it easy for bike commuters to freshen up after a long hot ride in.

The author also discusses bike commuting in Japan, where many workers bike to the train, a lot of bike storage facilities were built to combat quote "bike pollution" from bikes parked all over the place near train stations.)

FastDad

I often say to people at work when they ask why, if you have to ask the question, you will never understand the answer.

Chris L

Who cares what other people think? Wouldn't you rather stand out in the crowd than just be mediocre?

Chris