[Closed] Ideas needed: how to encourage (incentivise) people to cycle (or run) to work?

Free breakfast on a Friday if you cycle every day. Two hours flexi time if you cycle 15 out of 20 days. Drying facilities. Lockers. Showers. Free towels provided. Free maintenance classes. Company based cycle club. Family cycle events. Contribution to entry fee of sportives. Charity cycle rides. Bicycle User Group with coffee and cakes at the meetings. Discount scheme at local bike shop.

adequate secure bike storage
lockers and shower facility
cycling/running buddy scheme (regular runners/cyclists offer to "escort" new commuters to and from work)
lights/hi-viz give aways at work a
s people arrive either walking(don't for get them), running or cycling.

top two helped my wife start cycling to work
middle one is just an idea I've had.
last one something I've seen the Police/safety groups do to increase visablity in winter.

I'm watching this thread with interest, as it's very close to the topic of my PhD!

Out of interest, where are you located and do you have any information about how far away people live? What's the local environment like for cycling (terrain, major roads, segregated cycle lanes or paths)? What is the nature of your employees work, do they need to be "presentable"? Do you provide adequate and secure cycle storage? Do you have places for your workers to store clothing, change and shower at work?

These are all common things that prevent those who are already keen from riding or using other self-propelled transport methods to travel to work. Once these things are sorted there's more interesting things you can do! One of the strongest incentives to ride is if it has became a social-norm, but getting that situation isn't straight-forward.

increase road tax? make one lane of every road a cycle lane? 😉

15p/mile.

For me it would have to be routes without cars, and I'm a cyclist. Don't mind the odd side street, and out in the sticks on quiet roads to get to the traffic free route, but I'm just not mixing it with traffic anymore.

It's the showers and changing facilities that's the key. Maybe 15mins overtime at each end of the day for those who do the bike/run scheme?

Showers/changing facilities and secure storage are what did it for me. That and cycling is quicker than the train!

Everyone puts £100 into a kitty. Those not killed by a lorry at the end of the year split the pot? If nobody survives you get to keep it.

charge people to park

A tough one, safe bike storage and decent showers definitely.

With the rest, such as overtime, paid per mile, it isn't particularly fair on those who, for what ever reason, can't run/ride to work and therefore wouldn't be able to financially, or otherwise, benefit from incentives.

Might be helpful to look at it from the other direction too - what things [i]dis[/i]incentivise people from cycling to work.

I cycle commute every day and love it - I don't need an incentive to cycle to work since the enjoyment of cycling is the incentive in itself. But I can tell you straight that if I didn't have secure storage and showers available at the other end I just wouldn't do it. Ever.

The threat of having my bike nicked and having to sit in my own festering sweat all day are very effective disincentives for me.

Sitting in traffic for an hour every other night just to get off site !!!! seems to be helping at my office.....

From being the lone wierdo cyclist it seems folk have seen sense as i zip by them sat stationary.

We now have more regular cyclists than our racks can handle and im pushing for more racks as on sunny days we dont even have enough to cover if all the regulars decided to come in on the same day never mind the not so regulars

if you go to any ford plant or engineering centre in europe the bike shed is absolutely massive (comedy sized - takes some getting used to), secure and right next to the front entrance. all opposite to the uk.

[i]I work for a large automotive OEM based in the midlands, and as a little side line I've been tasked with trying to think of ways to encourage sustainable transport to and from work, now we have a bus to the sites, interstate shuttle busses car share scheme etc, however I want to encourage cycling and running - as they are the healthy options as I see it.[/i]

Is it only me that can see the irony?

A previous company I worked at when moving offices created a simple postcode based database to establish actual journeys. You could do this and then look at how to go after the 'low-hanging fruit'.

But beware, just because you know their address, you've no idea of their actually journey. (kids etc)

[i]if you go to any ford plant or engineering centre in europe the bike shed is absolutely massive (comedy sized - takes some getting used to), secure and right next to the front entrance. all opposite to the uk. [/i]

Yes, but then they commute less - a bit like how the UK was.

Secure covered parking & decent showers as a given. Drying areas/lockers for soggy kit. Showering & changing time to be included in your working hours. Bikers breakfast one day a week/fortnight.

But it largely is outside your control, for a remote factory or if you're on a busy road or have very early or late shift patterns that will put people off and no amount of bacon will significantly over come that.

make the faff at work of cycling as faff free as possible.. have the cycle parking up front and centre right by the front door make sure its secure and under cover.. have somehwere dedicated for cycling kit to be kept.. helmets rucksacks etc.

I don't think it should be monetary or extra time based - that will just bring out the them and us. Good facilities are a must - we have showers; lockers; a drying area and towels along with secure parking.

Our company also has limited onsite parking so I can come in later and not worry about fighting for the last spot of parking.

They also do quarterly bike maintenance - so cycle in and leave your bike in the storage and the local shops sends it's mechanics to give them a once over if you ask. A very popular option.

Occasionally free breakfast for cyclists - Have someone giving out tokens at the bike storage - but we have an onsite canteen so that is easy to implement.

As I guess you are at Gaydon then I think you aren't going to get a massive uptake as it is relatively in the middle of nowhere. I cycle down the Banbury road and those travelling to JLR in their company Jags and Landrovers are pretty bad at giving cyclists space.

Team challenge, most logged commuting miles gets all the free Mars bars they can eat?

Services and maybe offers will help too.

Breakfast for any arriving by bike?

You could offer a complimentary strava KOM for the fastest person into work.

A company can start a ctc bug (bicycle user group) cant remember all the ins and outs but worth looking into as it gives some benefits of ctc membership for a minimal amount.

If routes may be an issue print off a map showing good local roads for cycling. Maybe next to a pin board so people can out where can put cards up asking for riding buddies - if people could see how many people are doing it already or are interested in having a go they might feel more than inspired.... and just having a notice board you are more likely to be having a look and meeting other people who are curious

Loads of ideas, discussions, getting a pool car, secure lock-ups, showers, ride to work schemes etc. happened at my place. The people who were interested mostly owned bikes already and rode in quite a lot, or were not very well off.

An unintentional effect of the new

charge people to park

Increased the number of riders by 2 and 1 guy who now walks. Who used to drive half a mile each way every day. And is, perhaps unsurprisingly, obese.

Mostly people won't do it cos they don't want to; it's a bit dangerous, takes effort and you can get wet when it rains. The 3 people mentioned above are taking some kind of stand cos parking used to be free and now they'd have to part with all of 10 quid a month.

Viva la revolution!

molgrips - Member

15p/mile

Deserves some consideration that.

We get paid £85 per month to not have a parking space - this applies to walkers/bus users/cyclists/people getting lifts, so it isn't seen as positive discrimination for the cyclists.

At our place they forced everyone to have an offsite parking day once a week. That was mainly done to reduce traffic on site but it generated a huge amount of cycle journeys.

The very, very sad thing is that we're very well provided for for facilities and cycle lanes and yet before this, very few people used them. We also managed to get hold of the commute survey run at the company. Out of over 3000 people on site, 50% live within 6 miles of the site. Well within easy cycling distance.

During summer the cycle sheds and showers are packed. Obviously in winter I'm the only person there.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/bikeability/the-three-levels/level-3/

This and develop a safe route to work for each person

I'm not sure which site you work at, but at Whitley the main thing holding people back is the crummy facilities.

Nowhere to dry anything, changing/shower facilities filthy, cleaned once every two weeks max, pubes everywhere, unventilated, no lockers, unsafe bike sheds (PT car park), dismissal of many suggestions by some of the management, who seem fairly uninterested in actually doing anything about it. Dangerous site access, tired zombies in cars swerving around the speed bumps into the bike lane, potholes, and more.They don't seem to realise that they could save millions in parking and transport costs if they spent a few hundred thousand on some top class biking facilities.

My suggestion to encourage people to cycle is to do the opposite of all this ^^^

Good luck though OP, I'm guessing you're part of the 'Cycle Group'?

Stop sponsoring team SKY. Stick to sponsoring those that show cycling in a positive light.

I would only need 2 things to get me to cycle to work (not that i can in my current role)

1, Secure bike storage
2, Showers

lockers would be handy but not essential

Kids are n bed, so I back on here now.

Thanks to all that have posted so far 🙂

To clear a couple of things up.

The company has already got:

*Semi secure bike shelters with CCTV, security patrols ( as part of the standard route) and on some locked gates during working hours. All of which are under discussion to improve ASAP.
* change facility's are great, in some areas, others are bad (edsbike) and improving all the time, there is a plan! we've got s****y shower / change rooms, that have been kitted out to a standard that our onside cycling group has agreed with "the company"
* local roads are small side trial streets, and a busy main vein into the city centre, with cycle paths from many sides of the site.
* Cleaning rotors are also getting improved so that the facility's in some areas get a better clean and more often (edsbike - that's for your area BTW)
* regular meetings are held with cyclists and runners asking for suggestions that can be acted upon ( but obviously not all can be done overnight as they take planning, and in a large company that's a bit of a mare TBH)
* discounts in local bike shops are being looked into, as are having monthly or quarterly "cycle doctor" visits whose services would be paid for by the company ( bike owners would only have to pay for any parts needed)

So all the facility's are there, I' was really after "fun stuff" to encourage people to bin the cars and get active. Although I do like the idea of paying to park on site to discourage people to drive in.

Eds bike - drop me a PM with your CDSi-I'd and I'll get in touch with you tomorrow at work.

Just realised we can't do PM's on here... Can we ?

Edsbike

Drop me a mail to my CDS (asmit130) and I'll give you a call tomorrow to discuss a few things. 😉

hot chicks in the changing rooms

Does anyone have any ideas involving " team sky" ?

One obese person ritually humiliated a week? Every quarter a fat person gets fired/culled (take HR advice for this). 8)

get an unknown mate wear a suit and then to stand outside with a clipboard and to stop and talk to all incoming cyclists and write something down, then spread the rumour that due to C2W scheme abuse that government checks are now being carried out so that c2w abusers are to be identified for taxation purposes.

Offer small rewards rather than large rewards, eventually the extrinscimotivation will become intrinsic and you can remove the reward.

Gusamc .... I like that idea, not sure I could get away with it tho ! Lol

As someone else said earlier and CharlieMungus above, beware of offering too big a prize and also as cash/OT as that will seriously annoy those who need to drive due to distance, kids, stuff they have to bring into work etc. Remember there are also people who don't know how to cycle or are too scared to cycle on the road. Stuff like free hi-vis and maybe route planning or if you can do it have a ride with a pro/celeb for the people who cycle in the most for 6 months or something.

I cycle in to work pretty much everyday in London, Wandsworth to Chiswick. It's a great journey along the Thames even includes the odd stop off at a pub on the river on the way home when the weather is nice!

not fun, but some material explaining the health benefits, how many calories a year cycling 6km to work and back everyday would burn, how many mars bars or cheeseburgers that equates too might encourage a few, also the reduced risks of heart attacks, etc from the extra exercise, there's a lot of material floating about if you google health benefits of cycling... maybe also explain that you have all those facilities as some may not know if they're tucked away.

Facilities alone won't do it. In the building I work in there are a few different companies. Last year the pressure on the underground bike racks got too much and they introduced a new system where they are allocated to named people to ease the crowding. My firm were allocated 4 spaces and only 3 of them were taken, whereas other companies had much higher cycling rates. All the showers etc are communal (in the sense that all companies have access to them rather than some mass communal shower), so facilities has nothing to do with it.

I would hazard a guess that a lot of them came from sky who seem rather more, ahem, pro-cycling than my mob. I'm not sure what exactly do to encourage it, but I'm sure that whatever it is is a lot more than my firm which rejects any attempt to introduce cycle to work and where the senior staff look at you like you've got two heads when you suggest that cycling 5 miles to the office might be quicker than driving.

I've got a iron in the fire with regards to the pro riders suggestion...

The occi health suggestions are a good idea, I'm gonna look into that one some more, cheers.

get leaders to show the way. I've worked in a couple of organisations where the fact that the CEO, CEO and board members cycle / run to work or do these activities at lunchtime makes a massive difference to culture... just seeing the CEO walk through a building in running / cycling gear makes it ok for everyone else to do the same.

robdixon

Now there's a good idea, but at a car company's HQ I doubt it'd work TBH

We've got a successful BUG at our work who discuss how facilities can be improved with the building managers. It's just run via SharePoint. Once a year we have bike shops, CTC, police marking etc as a roadshow and offer to give folk a tour of the facilities.

I'm buddying up with a guy who lives near me to show him a safe cycle route to work.

My company pay people £2 a day for cycling/walking/car share/getting the bus. Done mainly to clear up demand for parking spaces.

One of the things that encouraged cycling temporarily was a mileage competition as part of bike week (but mileage for entire month counted). We had a big competition with our neighbouring office, but a load of companies in the town also took part. We won for businesses our size, helped by a massive training block I was doing, the MD becoming obsessed with cycling and another workmate putting in a huge chunk.

Knowing that another reason to get people cycling or running into either site is because there is a massive parking problem at both sites, I am all for people to be charged for driving into work and using parking facilities. Even just £2 per day would see another 100 people getting on their bikes out of principle (and 2000 moaning about the unfairness of it and how could they possibly cycle as they have a 15 mile commute).
Plus all cyclists/runners/walkers given free hi viz tops with "OEM name" on the back so the drivers who work there give lots of room (this idea was floated years ago but not implemented).

I still think the sad truth is that those who want to do it will do it, and those who can't be bothered will never do it.

cut car parking for people less than 5 miles from work - made big change at our place

[i]cut car parking for people less than 5 miles from work - made big change at our place [/i]

All that happens then is that local streets are cluttered with your colleagues' cars.

Also encourages folk to live 6 miles away 🙂

Bike breakfast?

Lay on bacon rolls, danish pastries and coffee for those cycling in on a given day. First Friday of the month, something like that.

Make it a tasty treat for those that do ride and tempting enough for those that don't to consider jumping on their bike next month.

I suggested this at my work but it was scaled back to microwave porridge and fruit juice to keep it healthy 🙄

They were surprised at the lack of uptake for some reason.

Sticker charts

None of the plan will work for most people ... half bake ideas.

To encourage others to cycle to work do all these:

1. Give them 4 days work week.

2. Pay them £3 per day (or think of some £££) every time they cycle to work on top of their salary.

3. The one that maintain consistency throughout the year in cycling to work get a free family holiday for a week for four to ... Scotland ... you think of a place.

4. Contribute % towards their life insurance (if they have one) in the event that they get run over by 10 tonnes lorry etc ...

5. Give them a bike or lease them one.

6. If they can do all the above and still contribute to your company increase their salary ...

Be real ... forget about that Kelly celebrity stuff ... real people do not run on track to earn a living.

🙄

On the sponsoring thing. The only Jag parked along the road in the richest part of Pau is the one driven by a team Sky member. A Jag reduced to the status of a billboard for a bouquet télé watched by the under classes (people with enough money to buy a Jag in France have fibre optic cable TV). I really think Jaguar need to think hard about what they sponsor.

Quality traffic free routes is the only way. Without that the only people who will cycle are people who enjoy extreme sports or who have absolutely no choice..and that's only going to be a small number.

Traffic is the problem....showers at work, free breakfasts and vouchers off cycling stuff are all pointless pap.

Start by looking at how easy it is to actually access your site by bike in a traffic free way, then start looking at where your colleagues actually live and drawing straight lines between those dormitory areas and your sight....are there traffic free corridors along those lines...if there are then are they perceived as safe..ie absence of broken glass and graffiti, lit, overlooked by houses, no underpasses where muggers lurk. Is the perceived safety levels the same cycling that way in the dark at 4pm in winter the same as at 9am in the summer. If these routes exist publicise them...if they don't you are stuffed until someone builds them...and remember one awkward crossing across a major road will stuff it.

Talk to sustrans officers..they would love to work with you lot.

I used to work for Scott Wilson (now URS) any they paid people who cycled into work 75% of the time an extra £200 a year. Not policed in any way, just based on trust. I'm trying to encourage something similar at Arup. We already have a huge bike shed, lockers, and four showers for an office of 100 or so, and a great commute to the outskirts of Edinburgh.

For me it would have to be something like a breakfast voucher for the canteen. 50p off anything (i.e. fruit or yogurt) or save them up and get a hot breakfast. Four vouchers would be enough to get a hot breakfast, incentive to cycle all week but allows for horrible weather.

Bonus with the vouchers is it will encourage people to get in a little earlier than they need to, giving them a chance to cool off etc.

I work for a local authority and have been looking at the same issue. Try looking at why people dont cycle to work and the issue will boil down to a fear of cycling in traffic. We have the CTC on board who are offering on-road training for those who havent cycled in a while, a cycle route planner which highlights quiet routes, and a bicycle user group that offers a buddying service. For it to be a success the change has to be supported by ongoing events, I am thinking about evening rides after work for socialising, not far, not fast.

On the sponsoring thing. The only Jag parked along the road in the richest part of Pau is the one driven by a team Sky member. A Jag reduced to the status of a billboard for a bouquet télé watched by the under classes (people with enough money to buy a Jag in France have fibre optic cable TV). I really think Jaguar need to think hard about what they sponsor.

So your point is rich people in France don't have Sky TV nor drive Jags. Where as in the UK people who have Sky would drive a Jag.

Sounds like they got the marketing/sponsorship spot on to me.

I'm amazed people can get their companies to pay people for cycling in. Well done, you must have some very forward thinking leaders there.

Even at our place which I consider to have excellent facilities, a request to turn on the heating in the changing rooms during winter (to allow clothes drying) was met with "We're not running a sports centre here".

We (the site cycling group) also found, that having useful information packs on routes, bike shops, facilities and phone numbers/email addresses of on site cyclists who could help with maintenance made a big difference. We got some very positive feedback on these packs and it definitely encouraged more women to cycle in.

long as its petrol eh edukator.

just arrived at work today - no effing bike space and notes left in my normal overspill area pointing at the bike rack.

bike locked to the post holding the note - and photographs taken. email to facilitys and lets get something done.

coupled with the photos of last nights mega traffic 😉

My point was that I don't think Brad and Co are the right people to build an image for Jaguar that would help them sell cars. Do you know anyone interested in cycling that also owns a Jag? I don't. A number of the guys in my MTB club are also into cars. Lotus, Porsche and Peugeot got their money. On the Jaguar F-type thread it didn't take long for someone to say they'd rather have a Boxter - it's the sporting driver's choice.

I assume Jaguar is trying to sell cars in other countries too. Cycle racing is not held in high regard in many places and Sky in particular is just seen by many as the current equivalent of Team Telecom/Festina/US postal. "There is no such thing as bad publicity" you'll say. Well selling "quality" cars isn't about publicity, it's about image building. Jaguar seemed to be doing well and leaving behind its spiv/criminal/poser/nouveaux riche tags. Then it sponsors... .

Edukator - Member
My point was that....blah blah blah

Give it a rest, you are starting to ruin an otherwise interesting thread.

For you maybe, WackoAK. My inteded audience is the OP. His objective is to get people on bikes. I think the negative aura that surrounds professional cycling is more likely to put people off riding bikes.

If you want people to commute on bikes then show them happy, healthy, normal people wearing normal clothes. Show them riding bikes on cycle paths or cycle lanes with no helmet on their heads. Show them they aren't risking their neck and a soaking every time they get on a bike. In the UK this may be problematic.

How about moving the Gaydon plant to Holland or Germany, OP?

"A number of the guys in my MTB club are also into cars. Lotus, Porsche and Peugeot got their money. On the Jaguar F-type thread it didn't take long for someone to say they'd rather have a Boxter - it's the sporting driver's choice."

your point is surely your friends into cars have no taste ? - a peugeot.... really - thats your arguement.(peugeot driver here - not through choice but due to them being practical)
i must say the XF sportbrake that passes me on deeside every day - mmmmmmmmm

The Peugeot is his rally car.

I drive a Jag and MTB - plus have Sky. 🙂

I reckon its a great way for Jaguar, especially at last years' tour when Sky ran the Sportsbrake. Perfect exposure - just wish I could afford a new one.

Back to the OP.

I contracted at GSK in London a couple of years ago, they ran the type of scheme you are looking at promoting - including having an Evans shop inside their offices. Maybe give them a call?

A simple search found this:

http://responsibilitydeal2.dh.gov.uk/render.php?r=495

doesnt make it any better. would still rather any of the jag range than a rally car.... after all i doubt jaguars target market takes their jag rallying.

br, I am gobsmacked. At this point I will mutter "there's no accounting for taste" under my breath and retire form the thread.

You don't ride a ti mountain bike do you by any chance? 😉

My work will not give us c2w

Too many accidents in recent years including broken back which means our world safety officer deems cycling too dangerous and does not want to be seen to encourage it 🙄

He is a runner, orienteerer .

As others have said the issue to resolve is not giving incentives to ride to work but find out what reservations people have.

I only cycle on my days shifts. After a 12hr night shift I am generally too tired

I have workmates who live within a mile of work but won't even consider biking or walking

Another cycles because he has no car, he also has a drink problem 😳

http://www.gosmartdumfries.co.uk/

Not sure about the success of this scheme

http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=12154

In the UK, a lot of new road cyclists are the target market for Jaguar. They aren't after the mass market, they are appealing to people who will spend £5K on a push-bike and hundreds on Rapha clothing without any background or history with the sport. Look at another key sponsor for Sky - IG Markets. I don't think they really appeal to the average Frenchman either.

Throw your Cervelo in the back of the new Sportbrake? Fits the image perfectly.

Also, a lot of sports sponsorship is about the corporate hospitality rather than the exposure. IG Markets/Jag can entertain their key customers as part of the deal - that's often the key driver behind the sponsorship. Gazprom sponsoring the Champions League? Nothing to do with people buying more of it from seeing adverts, all to do with corporate entertainment.

(I'm not sure what this has to do with the original post though, apologies to the OP for continuing a discussion that has nothing to do with your original question! I can't see how Jag sponsoring Sky is putting people off cycling to work - do people really think that at your place of work? That cycling is just for skinny pros?)

I did muffin friday. I just ate too many muffins and gave too many away. I should be in marketing me 🙂

I'd say getting the boss and senior management doing it would be high on the list. Cycling is seen as poor man's transport and cars as a status symbol

edukator has made a good point though, cycling needs to be seen to be safe, and statistically normal, otherwise the majority wont want to do it.
at the moment, many people perceive the danger level to be high, therefore they wont change.
tackling mobile phone usage by drivers would be a start imo.

have a look at www.transportdirect.info for journey planners. We found it useful. Sometimes it throws up what you think are unusual routes, but closer scrutiny shows them to be sensible. Our Travel Plan Officer got home postcodes for all staff off HR, put them in the journey planner then emailed the options to staff. First hurdle over, quiet routes found.

[i]br, I am gobsmacked. At this point I will mutter "there's no accounting for taste" under my breath and retire form the thread.

You don't ride a ti mountain bike do you by any chance?
[/i]

Yep, 456Ti 🙂

As for danger, at a previous company HR tried to 'ban' senior Managers commuting on motorcycles, luckily the Head Lawyer was a two-wheeler.

"Cycling is seen as poor man's transport and cars as a status symbol "

This

when i first started it was assumed i hadnt a license

then it was assumed i was banned - i still get that when i arrive at clients offices.

folks simply dont believe its the quickest way round town at the times i travel .... the fact i do 15miles each way to town also makes me out to be the wierdo.....but it did make folks feel lazy using their cars for sub 5 mile journeys and they have started doing it.

taking time to explain your motive sometimes motivates folks enough- the other one was cycling past everyone on a daily basis sat in their car stuck in traffic and showing them i could travel my 15 miles in the hour it took them to get to the edge of the industrial estate.....

"As for danger, at a previous company HR tried to 'ban' senior Managers commuting on motorcycles, luckily the Head Lawyer was a two-wheeler."

absolute lol .... i would actually find a new job if they tried that.

Just a thing which stops my gf riding to work, not sure it would be applicable in an automotive.

basically the smarter your work dress code the more of a pita riding in becomes, esp for women (hairdryers, makeup, etc)

if you adjust the dress code in a place like that you could lower barriers

@trail rat
i think many people just dont believe/cant imagine that cycling can often be quicker than a car.
i can do my 1.8 mile commute just as quick as a car, without hurrying at all (singlespeed, max speed 12mph ish) and i have had more than a dozen coworkers tell me, "i saw you at (insert street name here) and you've arrived at the same time as me" and their tone of voice is always the same, they are amazed.
not at my cycling prowess i may add.