Photo Credit: L.A. Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) has launched a new “Bike Share for Business” program that offers businesses a way to purchase discounted bike share passes for their employees in downtown Los Angeles.
To take advantage of the program, businesses must purchase five or more bike share passes every month for six months. The costs can either be split between the business and employee or paid entirely by the company.
Here’s how it works: the employer signs up for the Bike Share for Business Program and chooses one of three different pricing plans. Employees enroll in the plan to receive their discounted pass. The company is then billed monthly for every enrolled employee. Businesses can sign up online at https://bikeshare.metro.net/for-business/signup/. Each plan costs $12 per month per employee, but costs are split in different ways for added flexibility. The three plans are:
Gold Plan. The monthly cost per employee is paid entirely by the company. The employee does not contribute to the monthly cost, but pays $1.75 for all trips over 30 minutes. Metro is currently offering a special rate of $6 per month for each employee for the Gold Pass – a 50 percent discount – that will be available only until May 18, 2017.
Silver Plan. This plan costs the company $9 per month per employee, with the employee contributing $3 per month. The employee also pays $1.75 for all trips over 30 minutes.
Bronze Plan. This plan costs the company $6 per month for each employee. The employee also pays $6 per month. The employee also pays $1.75 for each trip over 30 minutes.
All business plans are already discounted at 40 percent off Metro’s standard monthly rate of $20 per month.
“Downtown L.A. is the No. 1 employment center in the county, so the potential is huge for companies, hotels and others to offer this extremely cost-effective program to their workers,” said John Fasana, Metro Board Chair and Mayor Pro Tem of the city of Duarte. “Businesses who take advantage of this program have the opportunity to reduce the expensive fees their employees must pay whenever parking anywhere in the Downtown area.”
Launched in downtown last July, Metro’s Bike Share Program currently consists of 61 bike share stations and approximately 800 Metro Bikes that can be rented for short-distance trips. There is a bike share station conveniently located in all major downtown business districts. The Bike Share for Business Program will also be available when Metro Bike Share expands this summer to Pasadena, Port of Los Angeles and Venice.
“Metro’s Bike Share for Business Program is the latest Metro effort to transform transportation in the L.A. region,” said Phillip A. Washington, Metro CEO. “Our program allows businesses to add bike sharing to existing employee sustainability or wellness programs, and helps reduce travel demand at the worksite. It’s a win-win solution that improves a company’s bottom line and encourages workers to lead more active, healthy lifestyles.”
The program also may be beneficial to businesses seeking to recruit a young, health-conscious generation of new workers willing to embrace alternative modes of transportation.
“We’re committed to attracting and developing the best transportation professionals in the consulting business, which means we are always competing for the best talent,” said Jeremy Klop, Principal for Fehr and Peers, one of the first businesses to take advantage of the program. “Benefits like Bike Share for Business encourage workers to get out and experience more of their community. Along with our other commuter benefits like Metro transit passes, the costs are small compared to the personal and professional benefits for our staff.”
Metro’s Bike Share program team can provide in-person presentations and pop-up registration events for Downtown L.A. businesses interested in participating in the program. For more information, visithttps://bikeshare.metro.net/for-business, or contact [email protected]. Alternately, interested businesses can call 213-364-2676 to sign up.
