WASHINGTON (BRAIN) —The League of American Bicyclists has recognized 60 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses, a list that includes major banks, an NFL stadium, bike share organizations, bike retailers and manufacturers.
Since the program began in 2008, nearly 1,400 businesses have received the designation after showing they had facilities and programs that encouraged bike use. Application for the designation requires a fee that ranges from $50 to $1,000 depending on the size of the business. Not all members re-apply for the designation, but the LAB continues to publish of the companies that received the designation in the past.
The 60 businesses that joined or renewed this year included Giant Bicycle, which joined as a Gold-level BFB, and Dero Bike Racks, which has been on the list since 2010 but moved up to Platinum level this year.
Flagstaff, Arizona, retailer Absolute Bikes has been on the list since 2013, and also moved up to Platinum level this year.
While Giant is the only bike brand on the list of new and renewing members, many other brands have made the list other years. Trek and Specialized, for example, each achieved Gold-level designation in 2010 but are not on the list of renewing businesses.
Minneapolis' U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, joined as a Bronze-level BFB. It's the first major events stadium in the country to receive the award.
"Seeing these businesses re-apply to the program after utilizing our feedback and implementing the League's recommendations to become more bicycle-friendly is an exciting validation of the BFB program," says Amelia Neptune, the director of the Bicycle Friendly America program. "Our goal is to help these workplaces find more ways to support bicycling internally and externally, and to identify the ways that bicycling can help bolster their business. Whether it's to attract employees and customers, or to build a more positive workplace culture or meet sustainability targets — the BFB program has proven that bikes can help businesses with all of this and more."
More information: List of new and renewing BFBs | All BFBs to date.
