Tampa Downtown Partnership Celebrates its BFBs - March 2021
Karen Kress, TDP's Director of Transportation, proudly celebrates Bicycle Friendly Businesses on TDP's YouTube Channel.
Tampa Ascends to #1: 43 ORGANIZATIONS EARN BICYCLE FRIENDLY BUSINESS AWARDS - January 2021
Today, the League of American Bicyclists honors 43 organizations with Bicycle Friendly Business awards from its Fall 2020 round of applications. The 43 businesses join a movement of 1,406 Bicycle Friendly Businesses with a shared belief: bikes mean business. In addition to the 27 new and 16 renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses in the Fall 2020 round, two organizations earned honorable mentions, a stepping stone for those working towards being more welcoming to people who bike.
“It has become sort of a tradition at the League to kick off a New Year with Bicycle Friendly Business awards,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “After facing the myriad challenges of 2020, it’s inspiring to start 2021 by recognizing the efforts of businesses across the country to be more welcoming to people who bike.”
The Fall 2020 round of awards marks the ascendance of Tampa, Florida, to the top of the list of cities in America with the most Bicycle Friendly Businesses. With 66 Tampa-based businesses having earned an award for being welcoming to people who bike, the Florida city overtakes Fort Collins, Colo., for the top spot. Tampa’s success is thanks to collaborative efforts among the city, the grassroots advocacy organization Bike/Walk Tampa Bay, and local businesses and entrepreneurs like the Tampa Downtown Partnership, which advanced from Gold to a Platinum-level award in the Fall 2020 round.
"In Tampa, we are so proud of our business community for embracing bike-friendliness," said Tampa Mayor and cyclist, Jane Castor. "We are committed to the Vision Zero mission of achieving safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all--and we need everyone on board to achieve our goal. There's nothing better than being able to bike to your favorite local coffee shop for some cafe con leche or a Cuban sandwich! But biking isn't just a fun way to explore our beautiful city, it's also an important mobility option that allows folks to commute to where they work, live and play. As we continue Transforming Tampa's Tomorrow, we look forward to working with our business community to continue supporting bike-friendliness and retain our titles as the #1 City for Bicycle Friendly Businesses."
Christine Acosta, founder of Pedal Power Promoters, a social enterprise advancing bicycle-friendliness, worked with many of the businesses in Tampa, and noted, “Each business has its own reasons to become a Bicycle Friendly Business, but most cite improving safety as a top priority. Business leaders want to know how to improve bike-friendliness and active transportation and using the BFB application as our framework, we’ve been able to elevate roadway safety literacy in a big way.”
The Bicycle Friendly Business program is a means for all types of businesses to improve the well-being of their employees and their communities. In 2021, it’s with heightened awareness of the current phase of the COVID-19 pandemic that we spotlight three medical centers renewing their Bicycle Friendly Businesses certifications. The Gold-level Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Mass., the Silver-level St. John’s Health in Jackson, Wyo., and the Bronze-level Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health in Lancaster, Pa., collectively employ nearly 14,000 people and serve an even larger population. The three hospitals this round are among the 80 medical centers and healthcare providers in the Bicycle Friendly Business program employing more than 130,000 workers. While totaling only six percent of all Bicycle Friendly Businesses, medical centers and hospitals employ 21 percent of the total number of people working at Bicycle Friendly Businesses across the country.
“Hospitals and healthcare providers have long been a natural fit for the BFB program, with those employers recognizing the obvious health and wellness benefits of active commutes for their employees,” said Amelia Neptune, the League’s Bicycle Friendly America Program Director. “Some of the best Bicycle Friendly Businesses think beyond the commute, too. At St. John’s Health in Jackson, Wyoming, employees have access to discounted bikeshare memberships so they can complete errands around town by bike before taking longer bus rides home.”
The Fall 2020 Bicycle Friendly Businesses include 16 Bronze-level awards, of which 15 were first-time applicants; 15 Silver-level awards, of which seven were first-time applicants, six renewed at Silver, and two upgraded from Bronze; 10 Gold-level awards, of which five were first-time applicants, one renewed at Gold, and four upgraded from Silver; and two Platinum-level awards, with both the Tampa Downtown Partnership and RDG Planning & Design in Omaha upgrading from Gold.
“In 2020, so many Americans’ lives were disrupted and routines changed,” said Nesper. “And so many Americans turned to bicycling, whether to ride to their healthcare job or lead their kid’s physical education class or pick up a six-pack from the local brewery. Bicycle Friendly Businesses played such an important role in making 2020 the year of the bike, and these BFBs honored today will help make 2021 even better for people who bike and the communities they live and work in.”
Full article can be found here.
AARP Tampa Bay is 100th certified Bicycle Friendly Business assisted by Pedal Power Promoters, LLC - July 2020
Tampa, FLA. – July 9, 2020 – Tampa-based woman-owned social enterprise, Pedal Power Promoters, LLC announced today that AARP Tampa Bay is the 100th organization it has shepherded through the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly BusinessSM (BFB) certification process. Pedal Power Promoters has developed several programs to support the safety, accessibility, and enjoyment of biking in the Tampa Bay region, including in St. Petersburg, FL where AARP’s Tampa Bay office is located. This announcement is concurrent with the League of American Bicyclists’ latest release of BFB awardees in its Bicycle Friendly America® program on July 9, 2020.
“Bicycle Friendly Business programming is a great example of public and private partnering for the good of the community and has never been more important. These businesses began their applications prior to the pandemic before anyone could know the virus would cause a global bicycle-boom. It’s an honor to work with such forward-thinking business leaders who acknowledge the power of bicycling, as equitable, healthy, and affordable transportation,” said company founder Christine Acosta.
Achieving 100 certified businesses has been a four-year journey for Pedal Power Promoters and has significantly helped elevate how supportive the Tampa Bay region is to people who bike. “Pedal Power Promoters has been a leader in encouraging, developing, and coaching businesses to be Bicycle FriendlySM and has been beneficial in growing the biking culture in the Tampa Bay area,” said Bill Nesper, executive director of the League of American Bicyclists. “Pedal Power Promoters’ work mainstreams bicycling, raises awareness, and grows the movement of people asking for common-sense investments that make bicycling better for all.”
Pedal Power Promoters works directly with businesses of all sizes, local municipalities, and the League of American Bicyclists, the premier national organization leading the movement to build a more Bicycle Friendly AmericaSM through advocacy, education, and programs to document and bolster what businesses are doing to support bicyclists. The League of American Bicyclists’ BFB application process is comprehensive; extensive work is involved in capturing the data required as part of the assessment process. Pedal Power Promoters staff play a key role in streamlining this process by partnering with applying enterprises and helping respective leaders tell their stories about how they support bicycling for their employees, customers, and the community.
AARP is one example of many Tampa Bay organizations that recognize the value of and support local bicyclists. AARP Tampa Bay was awarded the prestigious Silver designation, in part because of its long history of Open Streets advocacy in the region.
“Tampa Bay, and especially St. Petersburg, are lucky to have AARP as a local partner and vocal advocate for safer streets and active, equitable transportation for all ages and abilities,” said Amelia Neptune, director of the League’s Bicycle Friendly AmericaSM program. “The League is excited to recognize AARP Tampa Bay for their dedication and good work in the community and we look forward to working with Pedal Power Promoters and AARP to help them continue to improve in promoting and supporting bicycling internally and across Tampa Bay.”
For more information about AARP Tampa Bay, please visit: https://local.aarp.org/st-petersburg-fl/
ABOUT PEDAL POWER PROMOTERS
In 2014, Christine Acosta founded Pedal Power Promoters, LLC to spearhead bicycle-friendly initiatives in the Tampa Bay Region. The social enterprise connects and empowers bicyclists and businesses to advance improvements in the areas of safety, wellness, education, sustainability, and profit for private and public enterprises. Through various supporting agencies, including the Florida Department of Transportation, the firm has implemented Bicycle Friendly BusinessSM certification programs, conducted outreach for active transportation facilities, and designed commercial and residential bike parking solutions.