bicycle friendly business bronze seal Bicycle Friendly Business Bronze Sea

The Park and Facilities Catalog is proud to announce that it was recently recognized with a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Business award by the League of American Bicyclists for its bike parking rack advocacy and support for more bike lanes and other bicycling improvements in general.

Nearly 1,200 small businesses, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies across the United States have earned the award for their commitment to bicycle advocacy.

Businesses range from local shops that host biking events all the way up to larger businesses like The Park Catalog and The Coca-Cola Company. Coca-Cola is also a new inductee, supporting bicycle infrastructure in Atlanta to help employees bike to their company headquarters.

"The business community's investment in bicycling is playing a central role in making the country a safer, happier, and more sustainable place to live and work," said Amelia Neptune, League Bicycle Friendly Business Program Manager. "We applaud this new round of businesses, including The Park Catalog, for leading the charge in creating a bicycle-friendly America for everyone."

The Park Catalog advocates for cycling and its numerous benefits, including healthier lifestyles, less gas emissions, fewer infrastructure costs, and happier, more fulfilled individuals. The Catalog believes that as families and commuters cycle more, it benefits both individuals and our communities as a whole.

Biking to work is a growing trend, but statistics show that the trend grows faster in bicycle-friendly communities. From 2000 to 2013, bike commuting grew 105% in bicycle-friendly cities, but only 35% in less bicycle-friendly areas.

Currently, 57 million bicyclists cruise around our American streets. The nationwide economic impact of these bicyclists is massive—two-thirds of merchants in San Francisco say that new bike lanes improved their business. Proximity to bike trails in Indianapolis increased home values by 11%, and 83% of bike share users in Washington, D.C. said they are more likely to patronize a business close to bike share stations.

As more commuters ditch their car and ride their bike to work, it will continue benefiting the economy, especially businesses who are ready to accommodate bicyclists.

Adding a Bike Parking Rack in more places creates more Bike-Friendly Communities

As advocates for cycling, The Park Catalog is looking to increase the number of bicycle-friendly cities to get even more bikes on the road. Particularly, as more bikes are buzzing around town, one issue is the increased demand for bicycle parking racks.

More bikes require more bicycle parking, but sometimes the supply just cannot keep up with demand. That's when bicyclists get desperate and lock their bike to a tree or sign, causing issues for the environment and people trying to walk past on the sidewalk. Frustrated business owners even call the police and have them cite the bicyclists with a ticket, which can be up to $1,000 in some cities.

Of course, locking your bicycle to something other than a bike rack is also far less secure. It's much easier to cut through a tree branch than a metal bar. The FBI estimates that $1 million in bicycles are stolen every year, which shows that clearly bicycle theft is a major issue.

bike parking rack would prevent this A bike parking rack would prevent this from happenin

Bicycle parking racks help solve these headaches of overcrowded bicycle parking and theft. They are conveniently located near businesses, parks, and sidewalks so that customers don't have to park far away. Additionally, bike racks are designed to hold your bike in place securely with metal u-locks, which are the most secure since they lock in two places and can't be cut easily.

Besides providing high quality, secure bicycle parking racks to cities, parks, and business across the country, the Park Catalog also created an extremely helpful Bike Rack Buyer's Guide for helping businesses figure out how to select, place, and install the best bicycle parking rack for their customers.

The League of American Bicyclists - Making a Difference, One Bike at a Time

As a recognition for their commitment to supporting bikers, The Park Catalog received the Bronze award from The League of American Bicyclists, which has been supporting cycling since 1880. The Bicycle Friendly Business Bronze award is part of their program Bicycle Friendly Americaâ„ .

Besides recognizing bicycle-friendly businesses with awards, BFA also provides cities with specific information from engineers and government officials to help increase the number of bike friendly communities. It lists the 5 E's for creating cities where bicyclists can thrive:

  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Encouragement
  • Enforcement
  • Evaluation

Applicants for BFA awards are reviewed by local volunteers around the nation. This expedites the reviewing process with local cycling experts helping build up a database of bicycle-friendly businesses.

Other award programs under the Bicycle Friendly America℠ include Bicycle Friendly Communities, Universities, and States. Applicants are awarded Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum awards based on their amenities for bicyclists. These programs incentivize communities of all sizes to have the proper facilities and legislation encouraging bicyclists to do what they love—ride their bikes!

A bike parking rack for 19 bikes A bike parking rack for 19 bike

After induction, businesses receive valuable tools and support from The League of American Bicyclists to become even more bike-friendly by encouraging more employees to cycle to work or participate in community cycling events. They also receive recognition in an annual roundup of bike-friendly businesses and a national press release.

Communities, universities, and businesses who are interested in finding out more about Bicycle Friendly Americaâ„  can use the program's online assessments, broken down in the 5 E's listed above. These assessments will help companies see their strengths and also how they can improve their workplace to become more bicycle-friendly and receive recognition from the League.

Other than their Bicycle Friendly Americaâ„  program, The League of American Bicyclists also promotes bicycle initiatives like National Bike Month, National Bike Challenge, National Bike Summit, and a new Women Bike program. They also participate in state, local, and federal bicycle advocacy to boost cycling habits, promote bicyclists' rights and protection laws, and prevent accidents.

The League of American Bicyclists is really the backbone of American cycling. Without their efforts and advancements, it's difficult to imagine where cycling would be today.

The Park Catalog is honored to accept the Bronze Bicycle Friendly Business award from The League of American Bicyclists. The Catalog is committed to advancing the goals of the League, and increasing the tools that bicyclists need nationwide, including adding a bike parking rack in more locations.