FABB Blog

Minneapolis bike lane

“Biking is definitely part of our strategy to attract and retain businesses in order to compete in a mobile world,” says Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak as we pedal across the Mississippi River on a bike and pedestrian bridge. “We want young talent to come here and stay. And good biking is one of the least expensive ways to send that message.”

Bikes are improving the business climate beyond big cities. Austin, Texas, is ambitiously expanding its bike infrastructure; its first green lane opened last spring, one of 10 planned. CEO Tyson Tuttle relocated Silicon Labs to downtown Austin five years ago to be near the bike trail system. “Biking on the trails is something a lot of employees enjoy,” said Tuttle, who sometimes rides to work. “And when people think about joining the company it’s a big draw.”

In Memphis, Eric Matthews echoes those comments. He’s CEO of Launch Memphis, an initiative to nurture and attract new businesses to city. He says, “Biking correlates with entrepreneurs.”