Working Out to Work: The QBP Commuter Program
What better way to experience the pure joy and freedom of cycling than gliding past traffic jams on your way to work? And what better way to make a meaningful contribution to the health of our planet? Fewer cars on the road mean less green house gases and better quality of life for all. That’s why we created the QBP Commuter Program. By rewarding employees who bike to work or use other earth-friendly modes of transport, we’re taking a small—but bold—step toward
an environmentally sustainable future.
Launch Your Own Commuter Program
Bike commuters enjoy better health, an increased sense of community and pride about the work place that supports them. With a little planning and effort, you can create a thriving commuter program in your organization. We chose to focus on bicycle commuting for obvious reasons, but you can take our program and apply it to any mode you wish. We’re happy to share our knowledge and experience here. Hopefully, it will help you ease on down the road to a leaner, greener future.
See you on the trails!
How It Works: Scoring Different Types of Commuting
QBP awards credits to employees who travel to work via human power—biking, walking, running, skating, skiing, etc—or use alternative transportation options like buses, car pools or motorcycles.The more trips they log, the more credits they get. Our commuters can cash in their credits for QBP products like bikes, parts, accessories and apparel. Of course, not every organization has a warehouse full of bike products to offer. Gift cards, prizes and cash incentives are popular options that could work for you. The key is supporting and recognizing the achievements of your commuters.
Calculating Credits
Credits are determined by a scoring system awarding points to transportation modes that:
- Use bicycles, increase product knowledge and
promote the products we sell—4 points - Promote good health—3 points
- Lower environmental impact—3 points
- Reduce the need for parking—2 points
- Ease traffic congestion—1 points
Naturally, being in the bike business, we award top points to bicycles. Bike commuters ring bells in each of the five categories above, earning 13 points for riding five miles or more in a single direction. That translates into five commuter credits, totaling 10 credits for the round trip. Other forms of transportation are scored on the same scale. So while our credit system is biased toward bikes, it can easily be adapted to the suit the goals of your organization. See the table below for details.
QBP Commuter Program Score Chart
| Commute Type | Scores |
|||||
| Mode | Bikes |
Health |
Enviro |
Park |
Traffic |
Total |
| Bike over 5 miles | 4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
13 |
| Bike under 5 miles but rider exceeds 5 miles by riding more |
4 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
13 |
| Bike over 5 miles with electric assist |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
| Car Pool: Driver + 3 passengers or more* |
0 |
0 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
12 |
| Bike under 5 miles | 4 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
| Walk, skate, ski, run, etc | 1 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
10 |
| Bike under 5 miles with electric assist |
4 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
10 |
| Bike primarily with electric assist |
4 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
9 |
| Car Pool: Driver + 2 passengers* |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
8 |
| Bus | 0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
| Car Pool: Driver + 1 passenger* |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
| Motorcycles | 0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
| Car that gets more than 50 mpg |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
*NOTE: Car Pooling credits are assigned to the driver, not the passengers.
Determining Credit Values
Add up the scores for each rider, using this convenient table to calculate total commuter credits. We give people .30 cents per commuter credit for each one-way trip. So if they bike over 5 miles each direction, they receive $3.00 in commuter credits each day.
| Total Points | Commuter Credits |
| 13 | 5 |
| 11 - 12 | 4 |
| 9 - 10 | 3 |
| 4 - 8 | 2 |
| 2 or 3 | 1 |
| 1 | 0 |
Turn Up the Heat with Competition: The QBP Commuter Bike League
Want to inspire more of your employees to bike? Add a little friendly competition to the mix. After QBP launched the Commuter Bike League (CBL) in early 2007, bike commuting increased dramatically. Ten teams of riders contend to log the most trips every two weeks. Apart from helping QBP achieve its environmental goals, the CBL builds camaraderie and team spirit, bringing people together from across the organization. The League has proven so popular we had to create a waiting list for would-be road warriors. To learn more about creating a Commuter Bike League contact Doug Shidell, QBP CBL Organizer at dshidell@qbp.com. You can also read our news story on the Press & Awards page of our site.
Creating a Bike Friendly Infrastructure
QBP also provides basic infrastructural support for the Commuter Program, including bike racks, locker rooms with showers, and a tool shop where cyclists can maintain and repair their bikes. During construction of the new building, we redeveloped the entrance to Hyland Lake Preserve—which is adjacent to QBP—making its bike trails more accessible to employees. We also added eight parking spaces in our lot designated for park users.
Resources for Creating a Commuter Program
Education is part of our company’s mission, so we are glad to provide you with details and resources for structuring your commuter program. Contact Julia McCunn, Commuter Advocacy Coordinator: jmccunn@qbp.com.
QBP Commuters Circle the Globe
Can one bike commuter really make a difference? Absolutely! Especially when working in tandem with lots of other bike commuters. 2008 was another outstanding year for QBP’s bike commuting employees. They topped the impressive 2007 numbers by logging a collective 327,736 riding miles. That’s the equivalent of 13 trips around planet earth. There was a great effort from both seasoned veterans and brand new riders alike. Some of the year end stats are below:
- On National Bike to Work Day, 216 QBP employees cycled to work. That was 61 percent of all employees scheduled for the day
- 289 employees rode a bike to work at least once in 2008
- 98 employees logged over 1000 bike commuting miles for the year
- Riders totaled 27,906 one-way trips
At QBP, it’s not just bike riders contributing to alternative commuting efforts. We reward employees for carpooling, riding bus or light rail, traveling by scooter, motorcycle or high-mileage automobile. And, of course, we include non-rolling modes of transport like walking, skating or running. In total, 83 percent of all employees used some form of alternative transportation to get to and from work in 2008. Our goal for 2009 is even more ambitious but well within reach. We want 100 percent of the QBP workforce to participate in the Commuting Program.
More than a feel-good initiative, the QBP Commuting Program produces tangible benefits our company and the entire community:
- Improved health and morale
- Lower healthcare costs
- Reduced need for parking spaces
- Less pollution and roadway congestion
If you are interested in more information about incorporating commuting incentives at your workplace, feel free to contact Julia McCunn, Commuter Advocacy Coordinator at QBP. jmccunn@qbp.com