Bicycle Friendly Business Districts 2.0

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Liliana Gabriella Miles
8 years ago
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1 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and Main Street Associations looking for innovative ways to bring community building, economic gardening and new funding opportunities to themselves and their members now have a savvy, health friendly concept to add to their arsenal of ideas. The new Bike Friendly Business District 2.0 (BFD s 2.0) program brings a toolbox of smart, cost effective infrastructure, education and branding opportunities to communities looking to be thought leaders of new urbanism. Inspired by the League of American Bicyclists national Bike Friendly ranking system for businesses, communities, cities and states, the Bike Friendly Business District program was originated by Charlie Gandy in 2009 during his tenure as the Mobility Coordinator of Bike Long Beach. He developed the original program with the Bike Long Beach team under a grant by the Los Angeles County Dept. of Health. That program was funded for two years and run by April Economides of Green Octopus Consulting. Studying both the successes and missed opportunities of the original program Livable Communities Inc. has now developed the new BFD s2.0 program to help others create their own successful BFD campaigns. Shown at right: BID Downtown Long Beach Associates (which includes the East Village - one of the first four BFD s) hosts the popular annual BikeFest. This year the event included a Vintage Bike + Fashion Show. Image by Allan Crawford.

0) program brings a toolbox of smart, cost effective infrastructure, education and branding opportunities to communities looking to be thought leaders of new urbanism.

2 Building on the League of American Bicyclists 5 E s BFD s 2.0 are organized via the following framework: Engineering Adding bicycle parking Infrastructure such as bike lanes, sharrows or separated bike lanes Bike friendly + safety signage Innovation such as street decks or parklets Education Seminars to engage and educate all members of the BID or Main Street Association on the BFD 2.0 program and goals and why focusing on possible customer in a mile radius is so powerful Sharing health information on the benefits of bicycling and walking regularly to replace local/short car trips Bicycle safety collateral Bicycle education classes Case Study: In response to local BID s complaining of problems with bicyclists riding on sidewalks in business districts and endangering pedestrians Bike Long Beach created Walk Your Bike postcards, mini posters, print ads, and pole banners as a focus of Bike Long Beach s Share Our Streets multi-media road safety campaign. Share Our Streets was able to dovetail and support the original BFD program. Livable Communities recommends BID s consider a similar approach on their own or in collaboration with local bike advocacy groups or city programs. Shown above: Long Beach locals Joen Garnica (L) of Garnica Interiors and Elizabeth Williams of Cali Bike Tours were used as real people. Image Matt Fukushima

street decks or parklets Education Seminars to engage and educate all members of the BID or Main Street Association on the BFD 2.

3 Encouragement Beautifully brand the program with engaging graphics and imagery via postcards, posters, brochures, newsletters, social media, websites, media outreach and more Create a bike-friendly map of your district and area of the city Utilize cargo and delivery bikes to further your districts bike-friendly brand by having restaurants and stores delivery by bike Create bike district ambassadors scouts, teens, and college students can be terrific messengers Offer those who shop by biking, walking or transit special savings opportunities The image at upper right is one of Bike Long Beach s pole banners for Walk Your Bike. Image by Matt Fukushima. Case Study: April Economides came up with the Bike Saturdays concept as a unifying theme for not only the official BFD s in Long Beach to collaborate on, but for other individual businesses not in the districts to participate in as well. At lower right is the sticker that all businesses participating in the program showcase in their front window. Bike Long Beach is now considering expanding the Bike Saturdays concept to include those who walk and take transit as well and rebranding the stickers to reflect that it is a Bike Long Beach inspired/organized program. Having a unifying look and message is an important strategy.

district ambassadors scouts, teens, and college students can be terrific messengers Offer those who shop by biking, walking or transit special savings opportunities The image at upper right is one of

4 Enforcement Encouraging local store owners/businesses to utilize right use of the street/sidewalk and collateral with shoppers Partnership outreach with the local law enforcement to first educate on proper use then enforce via tickets and fines Evaluation Surveying the understanding and recognition of what a BFD program is both prior to and post a set amount of time via something like Survey Monkey Gathering information on the financial and health impact of the program after a set period of time to help expand or introduce the BFD 2.0 program to new areas And Livable Communities adds a sixth E : Events Originating BFD 2.0 events on their own or adding BFD 2.0 elements to regular BID events such as bike valet, free or low cost bike repair, short bicycle safety clinics, helmet fittings and more Case Study: After the end of the original BFD program in Long Beach the Bixby Knolls BID (one of the original four) decided to add a free short monthly Kidical Mass ride to engage entire families in the bike-friendly district conversation. The year old and one of the largest in the country. Image by Allan Crawford.

Monkey Gathering information on the financial and health impact of the program after a set period of time to help expand or introduce the BFD 2.

5 In Closing Some Food for Thought The Alliance for Biking & Walking s 2012 Benchmarking Report found that in % of all trips Americans made were two miles are less and yet 87% of these trips were made by car. We are in a similar situation today. The BFD 2.0 program is focused on an even shorter distance getting those residents within a mile radius of your BID or Main Street association to come and shop and do errands that short distance by biking, walking or public transit. In many cities that mile radius can include up to 10,000 households. Imagine the health and financial impact that could be. To find out more about bringing a Bike Friendly Business District 2.0 program to your city or organization contact Charlie Gandy at (562) or him at gandy.charles@gmail.com. Charlie leads regular seminars and coaching sessions on creating successful BFD 2.0 programs. Cast Study: In 2009 Charlie Gandy brought the parklet concept he d read about from San Francisco to Kerstin Kansteiner, the head of the 4 th Street BID of Long Beach (one of the first four original BFD s.). Kansteiner ran with the idea and in collaboration with the City of Long Beach developed a public/ private model which have been renamed Street Decks as dining extensions for restaurants. Shown at left is the very first Street Deck paid for privately by Lola s restaurant. The restaurant has seen a 30% increase in business since opening.

0 program is focused on an even shorter distance getting those residents within a mile radius of your BID or Main Street association to come and shop and do errands that short distance by biking,

6 About Charlie Gandy Charlie Gandy is a nationally recognized expert in community design, trail planning and design, and bicycle and pedestrian advocacy. He is a popular consultant, speaker and lecturer on the leading edge of both the active living and livability conversations. As the Mobility Coordinator for Long Beach California s Bike Long Beach program Gandy played a lead role in the award winning sharrow experiment, the 3rd and Broadway national protected bike lane pilot program, and originated the concept of and collaborated on the nation s first Bicycle Friendly Business Districts. Delighted to be a part of the remarkable culture shift embracing both bicycling and walking and its significant rewards, Gandy currently serves on the board of the California Bicycle Coalition, and in 2011 was chosen as Host Chair for the Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference in Long Beach in September of Gandy founded and served as the first Executive Director of the Texas Bicycle Coalition (now Bike Texas) from 1990 to Moving into national advocacy, Gandy was Director of Advocacy Programs for the Bicycle Federation of America from 1994 to At the Bicycle Federation he organized and launched citizen based advocacy groups for walking and cycling in thirty states and metropolitan areas, and coached and trained advocates in all fifty states. Gandy developed and launched the Walkable Community Workshops, which have traveled to more than 1,200 communities nationwide. He is also a certified Safe Routes to School Instructor. Image by Allan Crawford.

As the Mobility Coordinator for Long Beach California s Bike Long Beach program Gandy played a lead role in the award winning sharrow experiment, the 3rd and Broadway national protected bike lane

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