What is a Bicycle Friendly Business?
A Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) extends a warm welcome to customers who arrive via bicycle through bike-themed promotions, Bicycle Friendly amenities, benefits for employees who commute on bicycle, or other incentives. Participating businesses will benefit from resulting visibility, exposure, and their community goodwill. By encouraging customers to ride bicycles and rewarding those who do, a BFB complements public investments in on-street bicycle facilities, contributes to foot traffic along its street, and forms friendly, lasting relationships with people in the local community — making it easy to “bike local, buy local!”
How Businesses can Participate
Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) is an opt-in program that provides opportunities for businesses to participate in a variety of ways. For example, BFBs may provide bike facilities on their premises or request Bike Racks, Corrals, and Repair Stations via LADOT’s various public programs. BFBs can also adopt Bicycle Friendly Business practices that provide incentives for customers to use bicycles, such as bicycle deliveries, discounts and giveaways, or amenities and services like loaner bikes and trailers. BFBs can also encourage employees to use bicycles by providing safety training, allow relaxed dress codes where feasible, financial incentives, bicycle lockers, and other perks. Businesses can increase their visibility by becoming involved in community events and bike advocacy, and by forming partnerships with local bicycle clubs.
Participating in three or more ways will qualify a business for the Bicycle Friendly Business Program. For a full list of ways to participate, see the list below.
Infrastructure:
- Bike Racks
- Bike Corrals
- Work/Repair Stations
Business Practices:
- Loaner bikes or trailers
- Bicycle services
- Bicycle delivery
- Bicycle customer discounts
Employee Support:
- Bicycle safety training
- On-site showers
- Encourage bike commuting
- Bicycle tool kits
- Bike-friendly dress code
- Parking cash-out incentive
Community Involvement:
- Community events
- Local bicycle advocacy
- Adopt a bike lane/path
Partnerships:
- Club rides
- Bike path rangers
- Local bike maps
Opt in to Bicycle Friendly Business Program
Our Common Goals
- Encourage local dining, shopping and economic development
- Provide easier access to and additional parking for local businesses
- Support bicycling as a healthy, green, fun, and effective means of transportation
Programs through Partnership
The BFB Program creates a public-private partnership between the City of Los Angeles and local businesses and communities. Both public and private partners contribute to the cultivation and success of Bicycle Friendly Business through various means of support and funding.
LADOT Programs
LADOT offers a variety of programs, publicly available and free of charge, that facilitate businesses in providing Bicycle Friendly amenities including sidewalk bicycle racks, Bicycle Corrals, and Bicycle Repair Stations.
Bicycle Friendly Business District Pilot
Partner Program
Businesses can apply for Bicycle Friendly Business certification online here. This opt-in program highlights partner-initiated Bicycle Friendly amenities and practices, and provides participants citywide exposure through promotional materials and a web-based directory of Bicycle Friendly Businesses.
Leave a comment