Bicycle Benefits
Bicycle Benefits is a progressive bicycling program designed to reward individuals and businesses for their commitment to cleaner air, personal health, and the use of pedaling energy in order to create a more sustainable community. Founded in Saratoga Springs, the program has now expanded to multiple cities spanning 11 states and provinces in the United States and Canada.
Benefits to individuals, businesses, and communities include:
- Discounts for cyclists who visit participating businesses
- Increased patronage of downtown businesses
- Less traffic and associated pollution
- Decreased demand for parking
- Improved health of cyclists
- Greater sense of community and responsibility
How Bicycle Benefits works: Businesses agree to participate in the program by offering a benefit (e.g. 10% discount off a purchase) to individuals who ride to their business and display their helmets with Bicycle Benefits stickers. Cyclists can buy these stickers from local businesses for $5 ($2.50 goes to the business, $2.50 goes to the Bicycle Benefits program). The program encourages community residents to ride their bikes around town and support local businesses.
Pedal Power Pays
By Ian Klepetar, the founder of Bicycle Benefits
For years, people that have chosen to use bicycles as transportation have been discriminated against by the car culture that dominates our cities and towns. “Free”ways deliver a never-ending stream of cars into our cities and towns that need an ever-increasing supply of “free” parking to accommodate them. All of this car freedom translates into more taxes and higher prices, even for those people who have chosen “alternative” transportation such as the bicycle. Those of us who ride bicycles for transportation are thrown into the middle of congested streets surrounded by parked cars on our right and toxic gas spewing cars to our left. Obviously if there were more cyclists than cars, things would be a whole lot different.
I used to get pretty bummed out that there weren't more cyclists on the roads. I wondered why such an invigorating, and healthy method used to get from point A to point B wasn't more desirable and utilized by others. How could I get more people riding bikes and reward them for doing so? I came up with a great idea and started a bicycling incentive program in Saratoga Springs, NY two years ago. Now I just smile when I get discounted at local businesses and restaurants while the guy behind me in line says “Why is he getting a discount and not me?” I've got Bicycle Benefits!
The greatest thing about Bicycle Benefits is that everyone benefits … from the businesses, to the individual, to the community as a whole. The more we bicycle the more we all benefit. A successful Bicycle Benefit program relies on two key items. Businesses need to buy into the program and actively participate and BB helmet stickers need to be distributed. The concept is simple and the benefits to those who choose to participate are tangible. By signing on as a Bicycle Benefit business partner we give them great advertising, and the potential to make money by selling the Bicycle Benefit helmet stickers that cyclists need to display in order to get their discount or rewards. We just ask businesses to display the program logo on their storefront which identifies them as a participant, come up with a discount/reward that will entice new and old helmeted cyclist through the door, and to purchase a minimum of 10 helmet stickers in order to help us spread the program. Participation in the program becomes more desirable as more businesses become members (which can be done on our site as well), more helmet stickers are distributed and the program’s goals in turn become realized.
From decreased congestion, pollution and parking demand from a municipality’s standpoint, to new customers, higher customer loyalty and a new revenue stream from a business standpoint, Bicycle Benefits makes sense. This is aside from the discounts and rewards that cyclists receive when they decide to take advantage of the program.
I personally never used to wear a helmet around town, but now I don’t leave the house without it. It not only serves as a safety mechanism for my head but also holds my ticket for discounts and rewards at about 50 businesses in Saratoga Springs alone. The program has really gotten people excited about using bicycles as transportation and the phrase “Let’s go Bicycle Benefiting” is actually understood more and more around town as the program continues to spread.
It’s really a way of thinking of businesses and restaurants as destinations in themselves and bicycles as the only way to get there. Once a handful of businesses have committed to participating in the program, it’s as easy as
The possibilities are endless as to what type of business or establishment can participate. As long as they have a physical location, can come up with a discount/reward greater or equal to 10%, and purchase a minimum of 10 helmet stickers ($2.50 each) from us for distribution, we let them join. All of the BB business partners on the web site www.bicyclebenefits.org are hooked up to Google Maps, so you can search out all kinds of businesses and actually find out how to get there. It’s a fun program, and with all that is happening with escalating fuel costs, the timing couldn't’t be better.
During the month of June,I'll be riding my bike west to help cities and municipalities across the country bring Bicycle Benefits to the community level. Want Bicycle Benefits in your community? Every person who is reading this has the opportunity and relative ease of bringing this program to their town. The BB web site has all of the tools that you need as a champion to spearhead the program. An array of press releases, letters to businesses, tips etc. are all included in the site for modification and ease in bringing Bicycle Benefits anywhere. Find out how you can be a part of the larger movement to get more helmeted cyclists on our streets and learn more at www.bicyclebenefits.org , e-mailing bicyclebenefits@gmail.com or by calling (518) 396-8376. Be Progress!