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Last January, I learned that I would soon be paid to ride a bike. My employer, the bike advocacy organization PeopleForBikesannounced that for every trip I took — anywhere — I would receive $4, up to a total of $100 per month.

For PeopleForBikes, starting the Bike Benefits program was a no-brainer, a way for us to live our mission statement and get more people riding bikes. It was also a way for us to present our new application, Ride Spot Enterprise, making it easy for employers to set up bike-based incentive programs. Most importantly, it was a way for us to benefit people and the planet by creating happier, healthier employees who are inspired to do good for the environment.

It’s a decision that other companies are well placed to emulate.

Getting started

For most companies interested in this type of incentive program, the first question will be “Where do I start?” Good news: there are already entire organizations set up to help you.

Since 2010, the California-based consulting firm Bikes make life better has helped some of the biggest brands in the world, including Apple, Facebook and Google, set up cycling programs for their employees, helping them with everything from end-of-trip bike facilities (think secure parking and showers) to the creation of bike sharing systems.

According to company co-founder Kurt Wallace, Bikes Make Life Better was launched in an effort to capitalize on a bike boom that Wallace saw as imminent. “[Before us], no one was working with companies to help them use bikes as part of their day-to-day business,” says Wallace. “There was advocacy for cycling…but no one was talking specifically to business.”

Over the next year, Wallace expects to see a “great increase” in the number of companies financially rewarding employees for horseback riding, as well as legislation at the federal level offering tax breaks to support cycling.

“You can’t solve corporate-level transportation issues, or corporate-level climate change issues, without bicycles,” Wallace says. “From a climate or financial perspective, it just doesn’t work mathematically without having bikes in your solution.”

Cost is a factor, but employers can help

Employers are also uniquely positioned to help their employees afford good commuter bikes, a barrier to entry for many would-be cyclists.

CycleBack NYC, a program run by the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), spreads this idea by promoting bicycle rental programs to New York employers – a popular model in some European countries like Germany, where tax incentives make renting a bike through your employer up to 40% cheaper than buying a bike directly.

“Subsidizing bicycles in most cities is certainly much cheaper than subsidizing parking,” says Seth Ullman, vice president of transportation and sustainability at NYCEDC. “We are working to give people easier, safer, cleaner and cheaper options for getting around, and cycling should be one of those options.”

It’s already a proven model, ripe for wider adoption in the United States. In Germany alone, more than 1.6 million employees use company-provided e-bikes, which speaks to the market potential for similar programs here.

The Equitable Commute project, also based in New York, is a pioneer of another model. The group is working with Spring Bank to launch a new finance product that would provide people with micro-loans to cover the cost of e-bikes. Employers would serve as guarantors for their employees, who would repay the loans directly from their wages each month.

Employers are key

Employers are in a unique position to initiate the culture shift towards more cycling. Our workplaces are responsible for much of our waking hours, including time spent commuting. By taking small steps to welcome and encourage cycling, companies can have an interest in improving employee well-being, which will only add to their bottom line.

To be clear, I’m not talking about mere welfare allowances. Annual dollars given to employees for wellness spending will miss the mark by a large margin, as these incentives are unlikely to create new riders or change people’s commuting habits. What we need are programs that frame cycling for benefits as a specific benefit for employees.

I’ve always been a regular cyclist, but in the weeks since we launched our benefits program, my own cycling has increased. When I need cream at the grocery store, giving up my car in favor of my bike covers the expenses. Now, when I cycle the five miles to my office, I feel good about my employer for supporting a ride that keeps me active, green, and better connected to the neighborhoods I pass through.

No matter how I feel when I leave my house, I show up at work happy.

Kiran Herbert is a local program editor and content manager for PeopleForBikes.