Commuters – What Are Your Employer Asks?

[jrenaut]

Showers and lockers. Secure bike parking. The thing I really, really miss about my old office is the towel service at the gym – I didn’t have to deal with a wet towel, I could just grab a clean one off the pile and toss it in the bin when I was done.

[chris_s]

Showers, lockers, secure and covered bike parking.

[Steve]

Same as everyone else, showers being huge in my opinion. Other likes:

1. Policy that allows bikes inside offices/cubicles, particularly in inclement weather.
2. Hanging space/locker type cubicles. This is probably not a building manager thing though, prob just the renter of the space. Our cubes have a locker type part that can hang a good 3 pairs of pants and 3 dress shirts. Most people use it for coats but for me its a little closet. This is really helpful.

BTW, major credit to your building manager for reaching out and asking such a question. That is a VERY good sign!

[americancyclo]

Showers
Lockers
Guarded, Protected, Indoor Bike Parking
Community Tools

[Arlingtonrider]

All of the above, and a pump.

[TwoWheelsDC]

My office has showers, lockers, and secure bike parking, so I feel pretty lucky. If I had to make a request, I’d ask for better racks and signs/enforcement on how to use them. We have wave racks here and they suck, as they waste a ton of space and people use them wrong, so I’d definitely ask for inverted U racks. Also, frankly, working in a a downtown office tends to attract a lot of casual bike commuters who don’t give two sh*ts about their beater bikes or others’ bikes. So they cram their bikes into racks improperly (you don’t put your front tire in the inverted U section!) and in such a way that makes it impossible for others to move their bikes. I realize that a commuter bike is going to take some hits, and that’s why I don’t commute on my CF road bike, but I wish my bike wouldn’t get banged up and knocked over just because people are careless idiots….so some signage would be nice.

[dasgeh]

All of the above plus:
1. A bike friendly way to get to the secured, covered/indoor bike parking; and
2. The bike commuter benefit. (I know, not a building thing, but the more you ask the more likely it is you get it)

[jopamora]

@dasgeh 50451 wrote:

All of the above plus:
1. A bike friendly way to get to the secured, covered/indoor bike parking; and
2. The bike commuter benefit. (I know, not a building thing, but the more you ask the more likely it is you get it)

Anyone have any experience with bike commuter benefits? My company is upping the monthly benefit to $30 in June. I’ve been considering it, but it seems like more hassle than it is worth. Course my Metro funds aren’t doing me any good now.

[jopamora]

@jrenaut 50435 wrote:

Showers and lockers. Secure bike parking. The thing I really, really miss about my old office is the towel service at the gym – I didn’t have to deal with a wet towel, I could just grab a clean one off the pile and toss it in the bin when I was done.

I picked up a camp towel last year and it has really been great for the work shower. It dries in no time at all.

[83b]

In terms of securing the bike parking, our building located the racks directly adjacent to the garage attendants. A few baked goodies as bribes and always exchanging pleasantries makes me feel very comfortable that our bikes aren’t going to be messed with during the day.

[jopamora]

A bikeshare membership would be nice. I do wish the shower area had better ventilation so my commuting attire is able to dry out by the end of the day.

[jrenaut]

@jopamora 50454 wrote:

I picked up a camp towel last year and it has really been great for the work shower. It dries in no time at all.

I keep thinking I should do that and always forget. I’ll remind myself again.

[JeffB]

Thanks for all the replies so far!

Over the years I’ve asked for several small improvements but as I’m just a worker drone my requests went unaddressed. The other day my boss, who is an AVP, was fixing a flat on his bike when the building manager came up to him .

My company owns the building so – theoretically – any improvement is possible though I suspect the building manager is really asking for some low cost ideas. But I want to slip in some bigger things since the manager seems to be in a receptive mood.

SHOWERS
We currently have a small shower room in the basement so that’s covered.

LOCKERS
We also have lockers but no one is allowed to use them beyond the time they are in the locker room or are using the adjoining gym. Consequently the lockers are rarely in use. I think I will add a request to relax this rule to allow day use again (that used to be the case). In any event the locker room is poorly ventilated and wet clothing left there will not dry. So a bigger ask would be “clothes drying” space!

I carry my clothing needs back and forth each day but I know some people would prefer someplace they could store clothing for the week. So another big ask is some assigned locker space.

BIKE PARKING
We have 8 bike loops in a corner of our parking garage 30 feet from a 24/7 manned guard’s desk and next to an employee’s entrance. So the bike parking is already covered and secure – Yea! Now with biking becoming more popular there are days when I arrive to find 16 bikes doubled up on the 8 loops.

We have another corner of the garage with a “wheel bender” rack that nobody much makes use of and a really good bike rack (a prize won by one of our employees on BTWD and donated by WABA!) thrown behind the back of the building also not used. One my requests has been to switch these racks. Maybe with the AVP “making the request” we can get it done.

BRING BIKE INTO WORKSPACE POLICY
Sadly a couple of people have tried this and the guards will not allow it. Our work areas are very crowded and many hallways so narrow that people have to turn sideways to pass. I think we should improve the bike parking first. I know some people don’t want their bike to suffer “bike rack rash”. The rack donated by WABA is really nice and keeps the bikes separated so if that could be put to better use …

COMMUNITY TOOLS
Yes – please more on this. I think this what the building manager has in mind.

[FFX_Hinterlands]

At my office:

1. Covered parking that’s as convenient as the closest car space.
2. Commuter Benefit $20 month (stipend not pre-tax)
3. Shower with towel service
4. Wiki with bicycle commuter information
5. Bicycle commuter classes/info
6. Fixit stand onsite
7. Bike loaners/bike share on site
8. Store onsite that sells sundry items/shirts/shorts, etc (not bicycle specific)

[jabberwocky]

I’m lucky, since I work for a very small architectural office (6 employees, including my boss and his wife). They think I’m a bit crazy (in a good-natured fashion), but accommodate me as well as possible. I bring my bike into the office and lean it against the wall in the hall; we have a small bathroom for changing in, though we don’t have a shower (the one thing I miss from my old job in a large office building). We have a storage room with a roof access ladder that makes a perfect clothes hanger. I was even able to send my bike via police car to my bosses house when I was hit by a car riding home a few months ago and he brought it in for me a few days later.

My previous job was at a large office building in Tysons. The building management was pretty accommodating as well; the rules did say no bikes in the building, but the onsite maintenance people and building manager all knew me and gave me no trouble when I’d wheel my bike in and take it up the elevator. It was a larger office with a dedicated print room, so I just stuck my bike in the corner. Best part of that location was the building gym with showers.

[Author]

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