Bike Friendly Business Ride Touts Bicycling’s Positive Economic Impact

On Saturday, Transportation Alternatives and Ethikus hosted a Bike Friendly Business ride. The bike tour visited local shops and restaurants that are part of Transportation Alternative's NYC Bike Friendly Business Campaign, community gardens and some of New York City's best bike lanes.

"Saturday's ride highlights the undeniable fact that the growth in bicycling is good for businesses in New York City," said Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. "The businesses highlighted in this ride are just a few of the shops and restaurants across the city who've embraced the positive effects that bicycling has on neighborhoods. From restaurants in Clinton Hill to shops in The Bronx, the growing list of Bike Friendly Businesses are cashing in on bicycling's popularity and leading the way for safer streets in the process."

Streets with amenities that accommodate walkers and bicyclists have been proven to boost retail sales by 10-25 percent worldwide.

The Bike Friendly Business ride included stops along 1st and 2nd avenues - regarded as New York's first "Complete Streets," replete with protected bike lanes, Select Bus Service and pedestrian safety islands at intersections. The bike ride began at Veselka, a New York small business since the 1950's and one of the first participants in the NYC Bike Friendly Business Campaign. The owner of Veselka, Tom Birchard, handed out free Ukrainian baked goods to riders from the sidewalk outside his restaurant along the 2nd Avenue bike lane.

"More bikes mean more business," said Tom Birchard, owner of Veselka. "As a bike-friendly business, we've benefitted enormously from the City's efforts to make New York bike-friendly. The bike lanes outside Veselka bring customers directly to my restaurant's doorstep. With bicycling's popularity booming across the five boroughs, it makes sense for every business to be bike-friendly and I am proud to be an official NYC Bike Friendly Business."

T.A. teamed up with Ethikus, a non-profit that promotes ethical purchasing decisions, to host the NYC Bike Friendly Restaurant Ride. At the end of the ride, free food and discounted drinks were provided by Fort Greene's Habana Outpost.

NYC Bike Friendly Businesses can be found in neighborhoods across the five boroughs. Transportation Alternatives deems businesses official NYC Bike Friendly Businesses when they request bicycle amenities - including bike racks and bike lanes - for their neighborhood, offer discounts to customers who arrive by bike or distribute Transportation Alternatives Biking Rules safety booklets to customers. When they employ working bicyclists, NYC Bike Friendly Business owners pledge that their workers will follow the laws and yield to pedestrians. The NYC Bike Friendly Business program has over 250 participating businesses in all five boroughs and is growing daily. The list of NYC Bike Friendly Businesses is available online: http://transalt.org/ourwork/bike/business/directory.

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