Scheme of the Month - Workplace BUGs, Exeter
Exeter’s Cycling Demonstration Towns project (Cycle Exeter) has been keen to encourage and support the development of Bicycle User Groups (BUGs) in workplaces. 86,000 people work in Exeter and the project is working hard to get more of them cycling! By working with businesses to set up BUGs, cycling to work is supported within the organisation to help improve facilities and encourage more cycling. BUGs are an essential part of Exeter’s success as a Cycling Demonstration Town, for they harness enthusiasm and effect enormous change within workplaces.
This is often the result of a few keen individuals, and Cycle Exeter has found it vital to support them wherever possible. This often also succeeds in giving the BUG a higher level of recognition within the company.
Cycle Exeter supports the 21 workplace BUGs by:
• Keeping them updated on the Cycle Exeter project
• Inviting them to represent their business at the city’s Cycle Forum
• Inviting them to annual networking opportunities, to thank them for their efforts
• Supplying them with free cycling resources and freebies (water bottles, reflective rucksack covers) to support their promotion of cycling
• Providing them with information on cycle training opportunities for both adults and children
• Providing them with a bike toolkit, to make available for their staff
• Match funding for cycle parking or other facilities, such as lockers, changing rooms or showers
• Assistance with funding Dr Bike services, police security marking or Biker’s Breakfasts
• Doing presentations to their staff on the benefits of cycling and updates on cycling improvement in the city
• Feeding back to our highways team their comments on potential improvements to the cycle network
• Help them to improve their travel information for staff & visitors (online and published)
By harnessing the enthusiasm for cycling within organisations, BUGs can be used to promote and encourage cycling …. effectively doing our job for us!
This mutually beneficial relationship creates a strong network of cycling ambassadors in key organisations across the city.
Data on the levels of cycling in these organisations is collected through Devon County Council’s annual Exeter Travel to Work Tally and also by asking the BUGs to submit regular parked bike counts.
Data from 2008 shows that 9% of employees in Exeter cycle to work, compared to compared to 4% in the 2001 national census. Some major employers in the city have reached figures of up to 20% of their staff cycling to work.
Whilst Cycle Exeter has benefited greatly from the funding provided by Cycling England as a Cycling Demonstration Town (CDT), many of these initiatives can be applied with little or no cost. Devon County Council already supported the establishment of BUGs before Exeter became a CDT.
Find out more about the Cycle Exeter project from the website www.devon.gov.uk/cycleexeter or email the Cycle Exeter Project Officer Heather Baker at [email protected]
