Commuters – What Are Your Employer Asks?

[oldbikechick]

My employer has secure parking, not sure what kind of bike racks they are, but there are plenty of them. It seems like a small thing, but they also have horizontal bars attached to the wall where you can leave your lock when you ride home so you don’t have to lug it around. There is also an air hose, locker rooms with showers, free day lockers or paid assigned lockers. While it could be cleaner, it’s a great setup, although now that I think about it, a towel service would be nice. I have found that the camp towels from REI work really well though and will dry overnight if I hang them in my locker. I also dream of heated towel racks on those cold winter mornings, but don’t think that will get very far in these sequestration days.

[dasgeh]

Thinking about this, I know my employer responds to peer pressure. So I threw together this completely unscientific survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_EcN4QMZDBIyN4keLlRXJCy1lw8qciJyQzXmcIzt17g/viewform

Any suggestions for changes? Are y’all willing to fill it out? (Don’t do it yet, since I might get comments)

Thanks!
G

[ARL_wahoo]

My building/office is pretty awesome with the commute (one reason I’m avoiding leaving :p)

Haves:
1. Showers in the basement that are clean, nice, stocked with shampoo/soap in case I forget, mouthwash, and even a hair dryer in the women’s side
2a. Covered parking in the garage
2b. My office manager lets me park my bike in a utility closet The office isn’t busy and everyone is supportive of my biking, so it works out great
3. Day lockers in the shower facilities, though I just drag everything upstairs and hang on my bike to dry

With just the above I can bike in, park my bike temporarily while I shower, come out of the shower clean and refreshed, and take my bike upstairs. I highly recommend camping towels. I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Trekking-Outfitters-Fast-Dry-34×58-Inch/dp/B003D3F4TI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1367334587&sr=8-3&keywords=camping+towel It’s big enough to wrap around my body and long enough to cover things. Dries super quick and works extremely well.

Wants (in order):
1. Bike pump. I don’t even want tools, I carry almost everything I need, but a floor pump would be awesome
2. The biking subsidy/refund program. People don’t realize the cost of upkeeping bikes and the various equipement pieces you need. Less than commuting, but still something..
3. Overnight lockers. I’d even pay a monthly fee for it (and try to get my office to cover the cost). I could leave all my toiletries in there and it would make my commute weight way lower. I get by with travel bottles I refill regularly from my home supply, so I get by

[americancyclo]

@dasgeh 50583 wrote:

Thinking about this, I know my employer responds to peer pressure. So I threw together this completely unscientific survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_EcN4QMZDBIyN4keLlRXJCy1lw8qciJyQzXmcIzt17g/viewform

Any suggestions for changes? Are y’all willing to fill it out? (Don’t do it yet, since I might get comments)

Thanks!
G

Gillian-
There was a Fedbikes google group facility evaluation that went out in April of 2012. I’ve pasted the text below from a word doc. Not sure if they were ever compiled, but I think rcannon100 was involved, so he may be able to provide some more insight.

2012 Federal Facility Scorecard
A collaborative evaluation of bicycling promotion

Name and location of building:

Federal agency or agencies housed in this building:

Name(s) and contact info of the person or people submitting this scorecard:

This scorecard is based on guidelines and best practices applicable to Federal agencies in the Washington area; further details are available at FedBikes.org.

Grading:
0 points – not yet implemented
1 point – partially implemented
2 points – mostly or fully implemented

___Bicycle Parking: Employee (or long-term) parking
What to look for: secure, ample, convenient, sheltered parking; typically inside the building or within 50 feet of building entrances. Rack design and placement should comply with guidelines of the Association for Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) or the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). Folding bicycles or other bicycles may be brought into workspaces.

___Bicycle Parking: Visitor (or short-term) parking
What to look for: secure, ample, convenient parking; typically inside the building or within 50 feet of building entrances. Rack design and placement should comply with APBP or DDOT guidelines. If appropriate, signage should provide direction to bicycle parking areas.

___Showers and Lockers
What to look for: convenient, clean, secure, and welcoming changing facilities with showers and lockers, on site and free of charge for employees.

___Bicycling information and promotion within the agency
What to look for: designation of an agency bicycle coordinator; policy and resource support for a bicycle club or team among employees, efforts to inform and encourage employees about cycling, and (for those agencies with interested cyclists) participation in the $20 per-month Federal commuter bicycling benefits program or other incentive programs.

___Bicycling promotion within the community
What to look for: Cooperation with local government agencies and local advocacy groups to improve cycling infrastructure, and to promote bicycling, for example, through bike to work events or other promotional efforts.

___Bike share
What to look for: agency-wide participation in Capital Bikeshare, or agency has its own bike share program for employee use during the workday.

___Bicycling program evaluation
What to look for: an active effort to track cycling rates and encourage cycling by employees, monitor bicycle parking facilities and otherwise manage a bicycling program through the use of paid staff (either a full- or part-time employee, or an employee designated as agency bicycle coordinator as an ancillary duty).

___Overall bike-friendliness
What to look for: the extent to which senior management officials and other agency officials recognize and promote bicycling; prevailing agency culture and orientation toward bicycling among employees and visitors.

Comments and photos to be added here or attached:

[KLizotte]

@ARL_wahoo 50584 wrote:

I highly recommend camping towels. I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Discovery-Trekking-Outfitters-Fast-Dry-34×58-Inch/dp/B003D3F4TI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1367334587&sr=8-3&keywords=camping+towel It’s big enough to wrap around my body and long enough to cover things. Dries super quick and works extremely well.

Thanks for the link. I may have to get one of these since my regular towel does not dry out overnight in the rinky-dink, non-ventilated locker I have at work. Things get icky when the humidity hits. I wish these towels were cheaper though!

[jopamora]

Also, get your company to apply to get on the LAB Bicycle Friendly Business list.

[dasgeh]

Thanks jopamora and americancyclo.

I intended this survey to be more concrete — not a who’s best sort of thing, but a who has what. My employer doesn’t care about the title of best whatever, but if you say “this other agency has XYZ” then it’s likely we can get X and Y

[ARL_wahoo]

@KLizotte 50644 wrote:

Thanks for the link. I may have to get one of these since my regular towel does not dry out overnight in the rinky-dink, non-ventilated locker I have at work. Things get icky when the humidity hits. I wish these towels were cheaper though!

Mine dries in about an hour in my office, so even in humidity it should dry out eventually. It’s pretty big, but folds into a really tiny square, which is the best part of it, plus it’s extremely lightweight (I tote mine everyday). One thing I will note is that some of these types of towels are marketed as “soft”. I find that those have a velvet-y texture, and while soft, tend to repel water more than absorb first. This one isn’t marketed as soft, but I rub my skin with it and find is “sleek”-soft. It doesn’t irritate my skin whatesoever, is somewhat thin but very absorbent, and is a welcomed feel post-shower that gets me dry in no time. I couldn’t recommend it more.
I have a smaller one of a different brand (http://www.amazon.com/Sea-to-Summit-274-DryLite/dp/B001Q3KLE0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367349083&sr=8-1&keywords=camping+towel) that I don’t like nearly as much, despite the higher cost. It doesn’t dry as fast and doesn’t intake/release water as easily. I wish this towel came in a smaller size, I’d use it as kitchen towels or for running/biking-sweat mops
Just remember, never wash these types of towels (or any moisture wicking stuff) with fabric softener

[rcannon100]

The FCC went from being an agency where cyclists where bumping heads with management, to an agency where management and cyclists are totally on the same side of the table – and management has been great.

We applied for and received LAB BFB certification. We cyclists then made a really big deal out of it, had a party, and bought a really nice plaque for management. They display it in the front trophy case, along with other items like the DTV transition and the broadband plan. The chairman listed it as one of the agencies accomplishments for that quarter.

One thing that really made a difference was having a bicycle coordinator. This was a single POC for management, someone who is passionate, who is willing to do the research, and who can speak for the cyclists. Too often as employees we come off with a cacophony of comments – and to speak honestly – some of them are self defeating. Management can appreciate having one voice, that does its homework, that speaks for consensus.

For us, what is important comes down to
* secure parking
* Fitness Center ($80 per year shower membership)

The huge thing management did for us was convert wheel-benders to inverted U racks.

Everything else is frill. It is good to distinguish between things that would be nice to have – and things that are necessary to have a bike commuter program.

As for bike pumps and bike repair gear, we bought them ourselves. Management gave us a bank of lockers in the garage – I took over one and made it the repair locker and filled it with tools and supplies. Just get some approved space and then do it yourself. You can buy most of this stuff for nothing at garage sales. The pumps have a cable locking them to the lockers.

Bikes in building – I know for us it is against our lease. It may even be against GSA regs. I dont know.

Be careful about fighting losing battles, or asking for things that are silly. At some point you sound like whiners and that doesnt go over too well. Build a positive relationship with management that is making management look good – dont come off sounding like brats who are saying gimme gimme gimme.

Commuter subsidy: given that the bike subsidy is $20 and mutually exclusive of the public transportation subsidy, and given almost all of the cyclists ride the subway at some point – we had consensus not to bother. Making management go through a lot of paper work and admin for something that basically amounts to the change in my pocket, and takes away my subway benefit – I wasnt going to do that.

We have 52 inverted U parking spots with an agency of about 2400 in HQ. There are official DDOT regs about how many bicycle parking spots you are suppose to have and what types. If you are a fed building, this doesnt apply. However if you are a fed agency renting from a commercial building, I would argue (I am not sure) that the DDOT regs apply to the commercial building.

It is good to develop an abandoned bicycle policy. We have bicycles with rust and flat tires taking bicycle capacity because the idiot owners think these bikes are their way home during a 9/11 event. Um, no. Those bicycles arent going anywhere – but they are taking up space. So far it hasnt been a problem and we do have a policy.

Hanging stuff: My office mate bought a coat rack think off of amazon for $20+ bucks. I got inspired and for a few dollars of PVC pipe made one for my office.

Many things you can just go out and do yourself. The big question is what do you need management to do.

[Author]

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