Businesses and Bicycles

I'm in the process of writing a research essay on how businesses (as
well as government agencies) in the United States are encouraging the
use of bicycles. This would include things like building bike ways,
providing lockers and shower facilities at work, giving incentives to
employees and customers, creating a significant amount of parking space
for bikes, and reducing the dangers of riding a bicycle.

The other important part of the paper will by *why* these institutions
are encouraging bike use. For health insurance companies, the answer is
obvious: exercise reduces many health problems, including obesity. For
areas of cities that have very limited space (for instance, downtown
areas), the answer is also obvious: parking space takes up valuable
land and costs money to build.

I've been able to find some cases around the Internet and by talking to
people in my own metropolian area (Portland), but hearing about other
instances - especially from those who directly benefit from them - is
valuable as well.

Thank you,
Aaron DeVore

For my business, it's personal. I like to ride my bike. Therefore I
located my business in a cycling-friendly location near my home, and
have an official policy that the place to park a bike is by an
employee's desk where it's easy to keep track of. Customers are also
welcome to bring their bikes inside.

--
is Joshua Putnam
http://www.phred.org/~josh/
Updated Infrared Photography Gallery:
http://www.phred.org/~josh/photo/ir.html

Aaron DeVore wrote:
For health insurance companies, the answer is
obvious: exercise reduces many health problems, including obesity.

I haven't found the health industry to be particularly
bicycle-friendly. My current HMO (Kaiser) offers no bike racks or
other parking facility so I have to lock my bike to some trees when I
go there.

The last time I was hospitalized the staff wasn't at all happy when I
indicated that I didn't need to arrange for a ride home since my bike
was presumably still locked up outside. They finally relented but
insisted on a specific authorization from my physician.

At my workplace a few of us insisted on some bicycle accommodations
when we moved into a new facility and needed to redesign the floorplan
anyway. Showers were added to one set of bathrooms both as an employee
incentive and as a potential safety benefit since we did have some lab
space adjoining that area. I also ordered and installed some Nashbar
bike holders inside one of the building entrances.

"peter" wrote: (clip) (Kaiser) offers no bike racks (clip) The last time I
was hospitalized (clip) the staff wasn't at all happy when I indicated that
I didn't need to arrange for a ride home since my bike was presumably still
locked up outside.(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Kaiser branches I am familiar with offer no bike racks, but I do
occasionally see bikes locked to the posts outside. From their number, I
believe that bike racks would little used. Uou don't say what your were
hospitalized for, but I can easily understand that there could be medical
complications that they would be concerned about. They also have a firm
policy that upon release from the hospital, you will be wheeled to your car
by a nurse. You could feel fit enough to do push-ups, and they would still
inisist on it. I am sure this is not an "anti-walking" attitude--it is
based on a conservative health/liability concern, and is understandable.

I still remember my doctor's (at Kaiser) voice and words, as he said to me
several years ago, "I want you to keep riding your bicycle. It is SO good
for you."

Leo Lichtman wrote:
"peter" wrote: (clip) (Kaiser) offers no bike racks (clip) The last time I
was hospitalized (clip) the staff wasn't at all happy when I indicated that
I didn't need to arrange for a ride home since my bike was presumably still
locked up outside.(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Kaiser branches I am familiar with offer no bike racks, but I do
occasionally see bikes locked to the posts outside. From their number, I
believe that bike racks would little used.

I wouldn't expect them to be overflowing either, but made the comment
in response to Aaron's original post that the health insurance industry
would have clear motives for encouraging cycling. Placing a few bike
racks near the entrance wouldn't cost much and would send a message
that bicycling there either as an employee or as a customer is
encouraged rather than merely tolerated.

Uou don't say what your were
hospitalized for, but I can easily understand that there could be medical
complications that they would be concerned about.

The objections were not from a medical standpoint as shown by the
willingness of my physician to sign off on the special authorization (I
had previously signed him up as one of my sponsors for an MS century
fundraiser to be held the weekend after my release).
The objections were from the administrative personnel.
[BTW, the hospitalization was not at Kaiser.]

They also have a firm
policy that upon release from the hospital, you will be wheeled to your car
by a nurse. You could feel fit enough to do push-ups, and they would still
inisist on it.

Yes, and I didn't object to that although I thought it was a bit silly.
They just wheeled me out to the side of the entrance where my bike was
locked.

I am sure this is not an "anti-walking" attitude--it is
based on a conservative health/liability concern, and is understandable.

Actually I don't understand the policy. These days hospitals encourage
patients to become ambulatory as quickly as possible and it seems odd
that they insist that the same patient who was just doing multiple
brisk laps walking around the hospital floors must then sit down in a
wheelchair to go out the front door. I don't really see why walking
out shouldn't be considered the norm and the wheelchairs used only when
medically indicated or requested.

I still remember my doctor's (at Kaiser) voice and words, as he said to me
several years ago, "I want you to keep riding your bicycle. It is SO good
for you."

"peter" wrote: (clip) They just wheeled me out to the side of the entrance
where my bike was locked. (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Now, THAT is funny.

I thought I could find evidence that Kaiser encourages cycling, so I went to
their website. They certainly encourage exercise, and they DO mention
cycling. There is a calorie computing formula which includes cycling, and
even mountain biking, but you have to look for it. I could find nothing
specifically talking up the advantages of cycling.

I'm trying to think of a way to influence them on this. They have support
groups on all sorts of health related themes. I think HMO sponsored or
coordinated bike rides would be a great idea. Maybe I'll ask my doctor to
point me in the right direction.

I have a document prepared for local employers and employees I could
share. It's a flip-book. One side is targeted to the business owners
and facilities managers who make accomodations for bicycles, giving
good reasons and sound financial analyses, and the other side targeted
to the bicycle user or commuter. Having both parties read both sides of
such a booklet is the first step to accomodations.

Too bad the ADA doesn't list bicycle addiction as a disabling
condition. If it were, I'd be able to bike everywhere!

Doug

On 2 May 2006 12:42:35 -0700, "Aaron DeVore"
wrote:

I'm in the process of writing a research essay on how businesses (as
well as government agencies) in the United States are encouraging the
use of bicycles. This would include things like building bike ways,
providing lockers and shower facilities at work, giving incentives to
employees and customers, creating a significant amount of parking space
for bikes, and reducing the dangers of riding a bicycle.

To the best of my knowledge, no major employer in Houston presently
provides more than just a bike rack in the employee parking garage, if
that. Although the city government has made a good show of publicly
encouraging the use of bikes, both in general and for commuting (May
is Bike Month, and there is a Bike To Work Week coming up as well;
many designated bike routes and lanes exist and are reasonably well
marked across the city), employers have been slow to embrace the idea.
In part, this is driven by the still-accurate perception that the vast
majority of their employees have no interest in using a bike for
transportation. Some of the downtown office buildings have bike racks
in a secure location; most do not. The racks get some usage, but when
an employer has 500 people working in a building, and there are only
two bikes in the five-slot rack, the employer tends to look at the
issue as being too small to worry about. Much of this may still be
being driven by the long commutes that are typical in this city; when
one lives 15 miles away from work via the shortest route, and would
have to cycle 16 or 17 miles via any reasonably safe route for a bike,
the idea of commuting via human power is swiftly abandoned. As the
urban redevelopment (in full swing now) proceeds, and commutes of just
three or four miles become common, I expect that attitudes will
change. From where I live, I can reach any downtown destination in
less than 45 minutes via bike or 15 minutes by car, even during rush
hour. I'm probably at the limit of the area where bike commuting to
downtown would be regarded as feasible. At least 90% of Houston's
population lives farther from downtown than I do at this point, and
most commuters travel more than 10 miles to their jobs no matter where
they live and work.

The other important part of the paper will by *why* these institutions
are encouraging bike use.

Before you can get to "why", you must pass "if".

For health insurance companies, the answer is
obvious: exercise reduces many health problems, including obesity.

The largest insurance firm in this area is one of the places where I
have never seen an employee cycling to work, and I pass by frequently
during the morning rush hour. There are usually cyclists riding down
the streets past it, some of whom are familiar faces to me and/or my
daughter, but never have I seen anyone on two wheels entering the
parking garage or approaching the entrances to the building. They are
clearly *not* encouraging or facilitating cycling to work. (This
employer is also not known as a place that one would actively seek to
be employed, if in possession of full knowledge of the nature of the
workplace; the working conditions are reportedly far less than
congenial.)

For
areas of cities that have very limited space (for instance, downtown
areas), the answer is also obvious: parking space takes up valuable
land and costs money to build.

Balancing that issue, note that parking lots have become a profit
center and tax dodge in many locales.

I've been able to find some cases around the Internet and by talking to
people in my own metropolian area (Portland), but hearing about other
instances - especially from those who directly benefit from them - is
valuable as well.

I hope that you find more positive indicators than I suspect will turn
up. This might be a good topic for a long-term study given the flux
in societal structure and attitudes that may occur in the coming years
if fuel costs continue to rise as expected. Best of luck.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

On Wed, 03 May 2006, Werehatrack wrote:

The largest insurance firm in this area is one of the places where I
have never seen an employee cycling to work, and I pass by frequently
during the morning rush hour. There are usually cyclists riding down
the streets past it, some of whom are familiar faces to me and/or my
daughter, but never have I seen anyone on two wheels entering the
parking garage or approaching the entrances to the building. They are
clearly *not* encouraging or facilitating cycling to work. (This
employer is also not known as a place that one would actively seek to
be employed, if in possession of full knowledge of the nature of the
workplace; the working conditions are reportedly far less than
congenial.)

Is that before or after AIG bought them? AIG is well known for their
cheapness.

Don www.donwiss.com/joyrides (e-mail link at page bottom).

Aaron DeVore wrote:
I'm in the process of writing a research essay on how businesses (as
well as government agencies) in the United States are encouraging the
use of bicycles. This would include things like building bike ways,
providing lockers and shower facilities at work, giving incentives to
employees and customers, creating a significant amount of parking space
for bikes, and reducing the dangers of riding a bicycle.

The other important part of the paper will by *why* these institutions
are encouraging bike use. For health insurance companies, the answer is
obvious: exercise reduces many health problems, including obesity. For
areas of cities that have very limited space (for instance, downtown
areas), the answer is also obvious: parking space takes up valuable
land and costs money to build.

I've been able to find some cases around the Internet and by talking to
people in my own metropolian area (Portland), but hearing about other
instances - especially from those who directly benefit from them - is
valuable as well.

Thank you,
Aaron DeVore