BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The Walton Family Foundation has renewed its commitment to PeopleForBikes for 2017.
"Over the last ten years, Northwest Arkansas has seen the power of bikes and trails first hand and what they have done to attract new business, retain professional talent and create community," said Jenn Dice, the vice president of PeopleForBikes' Business Network. "Our job is to showcase those quality of life improvements at the national level."
The organizations have worked together for several years to expand and celebrate the business case for bikes: job creation, increased retail sales, business attraction and employee retention, improving health, access to jobs, and quality of life. PeopleForBikes said it will use the 2017 funding to continue its outreach and education efforts to cultivate a business climate for better bike policy.
"Bikes and the businesses that surround them are innovative, create jobs, and are a key component of the local business environment and national GDP," said Dice. "Through a steady drumbeat of CEO-level educational meetings, business-focused talking points and handouts, entrepreneur meetups, bike biz blogs and more, we are making the business case for bikes."
PeopleForBikes is also working with the Walton Family Foundation and BBC Research and Consulting to quantify the benefits of bicycling, including economic development, health outcomes and social/business benefits. The organizations will use the resulting data to develop best practices and standards that communities can use to measure their own biking benefits and shape future decision-making.
"Most communities don't have the resources to conduct a rigorous study of the economic development associated with bike trails, paths and events," said Dr. Jennifer Boldry, PeopleForBikes' research director "Our goal is to create national guidelines and templates so that local bike champions can tell the important economic story of how bikes create better communities for everyone."
