Bike & Walk Benefits

For Employers

Twenty-six percent of workers in Downtown Minneapolis live within 5 miles of their workplace. Promoting biking and walking to these workers is one tool employers can use to fight increasing health care costs.

Most employees view their commute as an extension of their work day. Employees who can chose a healthy, convenient and enjoyable way of commuting to work have a higher level of job satisfaction, have fewer absences due to illness and are better able to manage stress in their lives. This leads to reduced employee turnover, increased productivity, and lower recruiting, hiring and training costs.

For Employees

Many employees simply don't have enough time in their lives to get a proper amount of exercise. When employees bike or walk to work, they're multi-tasking, using the their commute time as their workout time. They also arrive to work energized and ready to start their day.

Types of Incentives

Cash Out

Employers that subsidize employee parking, transit pass, or vanpool costs, can extend this benefit to employees who bike or walk to work by allowing employees to take a “healthy choice” award in cash in lieu of the subsidy. 

The value of the award will be subject to taxes. There is no real cost to employers. The amount is treated as additional compensation and employees incur payroll and income taxes. The employer will have to pay payroll taxes on the cash out benefit provided. To offset that cost, employers can simply lower the cash out amount by their share of the payroll taxes.

This "healthy choice" award allows employees to cover the costs of walking shoes, rollerblade and bicycle equipment and repair, bicycle locker rental, or shower privileges at a nearby gym.

Showers and Lockers

One of the main disincentives for employees biking and walking to work is a lack of shower and locker facilities.  Employers that have access to showers and lockers already have a built-in incentive.  For those employers that do not have this amenity, several options exist.

• Employers can check with their building managers to see if showers and lockers can be installed for use by all building tenants. 
• Employers can also opt to subsidize or reimburse the costs of a gym membership in lieu of parking or transit pass benefits. 
• Some downtown employers have negotiated reduced membership costs with nearby gyms for their employees. 
• Employers could choose to subsidize or reimburse the cost of shower & locker privileges at the ABC Ramps as well.

Secure Bicycle Storage

Off-street bicycle storage is a huge incentive for choosing bicycling as a commuting option.  Several downtown employers have negotiated deals with their building managers to provide such services.  If off-street bicycle parking is not an option, the City of Minneapolis, Metro Transit and the ABC Ramps have bicycle lockers for rent.  Employers can reimburse employees for the costs of renting these lockers.