Economic

Riding a bike is good for the wallet and the balance sheet

For your people, commuting by bike is a very low cost option.  Rather than pay for fuel and parking, or public transport fares, you can get to work for free.  As an example, in Auckland and based on a 10 kilometre commuting distance, getting to work by bike just once a week, for a year, saves about $300 or $1,300 (compared with bus or car, respectively).

For employers (as mentioned in the Health & Wellbeing section), having more of your people riding bikes to work, or during the day, means a more alert and healthier workforce, contributing to increased productivity and fewer days off sick.

And, by adding a bike or two to your vehicle fleet, your people can use them to get to local business appointments. As well as saving on taxi or fuel/parking costs, it’s often much quicker, especially on an e-bike in our congested major cities which have ever-expanding networks for cycling. Again, a productivity saving with less time spent travelling.

Another example, if one fleet bike is used, rather than a taxi, just once per day for a 6 km round trip in central Auckland then the avoided cost would be approximately $120 per week. The savings mount up over a year, or with greater usage. The return on investment in an e-bike can be very favourable.

Finally, a common reaction to proposed cycleways in retail areas is the fear that loss of parking spaces will mean fewer customers and sale. The evidence reveals the opposite. Businesses tend to over-estimate the number of their customers who arrive by car. Many studies have actually shown that providing for people on  bikes, especially as part of better streetscape design, increases the number of shoppers and spending.