Washington, D.C. - March 9, 2010 - The League of American Bicyclists announces 51 new Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) award winners at the 10th Anniversary National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C., March 9. “The League is especially excited to recognize the 2010 winter BFB winners at the 10th Anniversary National Bike Summit,” said Andy Clarke. “The BFB program, along with the Summit, marks the progress the bike movement and business world has made to make bicycling a viable form of transportation and an integral element to happy, healthy and productive employees.”

BFB recipients include nine gold winners: Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin; Dero Bike Rack Company; Mercy General Hospital; Planet Bike; Specialized Bicycle Components; The Hub of Detroit; Trek Bicycle Corporation; University of California, Santa Barbara; and Wheel & Sprocket, Inc.

This round of Bicycle Friendly Businesses was distinctive because of the geographic location of awarded businesses. The majority of winners are located in the Midwest – further proving that you can bike to work regardless of climate and that any state, community or business can be bicycle-friendly – and were from a varied group of businesses. “This group represented a broad range of industries, from world renowned technology firms and hoteliers to hospital and non-profits,” said Bill Nesper, Director of the Bicycle Friendly America Program. “These Bicycle Friendly Businesses, are clearly making a difference for employees, customers, and communities.” Winners include not only bicycle-related businesses but companies like Ameriprise Financial, Corporate Headquarters; PayPal, Inc.; and International Business Machines-IBM Rochester, MN – all three with 3,000-plus employees.

There are a lot of very simple, effective and creative ways that companies are finding to get people back on their bikes, and the League is proud to recognize the efforts of working America to make our nation a more bike-friendly place. Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, Calif., has reduced the number of parking spaces they need at the hospital by convincing people to ride their bikes to work. “We determined that it was less expensive to pay people to ride their bike to work than to add more parking spaces,” said Dave Brandeberry, Manager of Mercy General Hospital’s Cycling Program.

Companies across the country are realizing that getting their employees moving – either to or from work, in course of work, or even in their own time – is good for business. The BFB program provides a roadmap to all businesses that apply, providing a step-by-step plan to further improve their bicycle friendliness.

This is the fourth time BFB winners have been named since the program’s inception in 2008, marks the ongoing success of the program and continued momentum amongst businesses to provide a more bike-friendly environment. Applying for BFB recognition is easy and free. Applicants receive technical assistance from the League staff as well as tools to evaluate and assess their bicycle friendliness through the application process. The BFB application is available online at www.bicyclefriendlybusiness.org. Click here to see our winter 2010 winners. Click here to see a complete list of winners.

The Bicycle Friendly Community and Bicycle Friendly Business programs are generously supported by program partners Bikes Belong and Trek Bicycle’s One World, Two Wheels Campaign.