The Economic Impact of Bicycling

She’s recently returned from speaking engagements in Toronto and at the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC; Green Octopus Consulting‘s April Economides speaks about how bicycling pays for local businesses.

In 2010 the City of Long Beach got a LA County Public Health grant; the objective: to bring more customers to 4 business districts by bike. Yes, that’s good for health and for business.

How did the merchants react?

Of course, not all of them were open to the idea, so how did she deal with the resistance to change that all bike advocates experience? April shares her story and the little steps that led to a big impact for these small businesses.

Besides social media, what other techniques did she use to reach more local bike riders in these communities? And why is it that customers who come by bike spend more than those who drive?

Bike racks, parklets, pop-up cafes, cargo bikes and other bike innovations have all added up to a sustainable economic impact.

Show #35 Listen to April.