Brad Johnson

Provo Bicycle Committee Member and UVH Employee

The League of American Bicyclists has recognized Utah Valley Hospital, Provo’s second largest employer, as a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly workplace. This award honors employers who have a strong commitment and dedication to bicycling. In order to achieve this designation, UVR was measured according to the following criteria:

• Support local, state, and national bike advocacy
• Offer classes on bicycle safety and maintenance
• Share bicycling information and resources with employees and guests
• Track data related to bicycling
• Have dedicated staff focused on bicycle-friendly improvements
• Be easily accessible by bike
• Offer convenient, secure bike parking
• Foster a positive internal bike culture
• Celebrate Bike-to-Work Day and Bike Month

UVH’s new Employee LiVe Well Bike Locker Room is just one of ways that the hospital shows its commitment to being a bicycle-friendly employer

About the achievement, UVH administrator Scott Walker observed, “This designation and our future commitment to promoting bicycle is in perfect alignment with all of our LiVe Well efforts. In 2017, Utah Valley Hospital will actively support Provo’s Bike-To-Work Day and Bike Month. We are just laying a foundation here. As the new Utah Valley Hospital, which is currently under construction, takes shape, watch for other changes that will help us align our facilities and our culture with a two-wheeled lifestyle.”

Among these changes will be improved bicycle parking for employees and visitors, accommodating pedestrians and bicyclist through its enlarged campus, and support for the city and UDOT making the surrounding streets more bicycle-friendly.

The blue lines indicate existing bike lanes, the pink lines show planned bikeways. In the near future, UVH will be surrounded by bike lanes allowing employees, visitors, and others to safely and conveniently bike to and through the hospital campus.

UVH’s willingness to make accommodations for those who opt to bicycle make it a better employer, health care provider, and member of the community.

A growing number of Provo employers are recognizing how much bicycling can help their employees be more healthy, take fewer sick days, perform better, and be all around happier people.

We were delighted to hear that the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center just opened a new bicycling resource for its employees. Here’s what they have to say:

“On Monday, July 14th, Utah Valley Regional opened an indoor bike storage area called the LiVe Well Bike Locker. The LiVe Well Committee is excited to offer this new benefit to employees.

The LiVe Well Bike Locker is located inside the Northwest Plaza near the dock. Badge access is required to enter this area.

There is also 40 individual lockers available for helmets, gloves, bags, etc. in this secured area.

Additionally, employees who use the Bike Locker will be given access to the showers in the Wellness Center.”

Great work, Utah Valley Regional! We hope other employers in the Provo area will be inspired to follow your example.

I’m not going to lie I would put a basket on every bike I owned if I could. Baskets are super handy they can hold your bag while you are riding so you do not get sweaty, a watermelon from the farmers market, or (my favorite) a four pack of Virgil’s root beer on a hot day. My one issue with the glorious basket is that most of them are made of wire, and the ones that are not are a little feminine to put on a guys bike :). Wire baskets hold big things really well, but for small things like tools, locks, or any little miscellaneous they just do not cut it. Enter Barbasket. Barbasket is the brain child of a designer in San Francisco and combines all the wonderful things of a basket with a bag, and adds a bit of class to the whole thing with color. Make sure to check the project out on Kickstarter and pre-order your own for only $90.

I do not know much about them but Honeysuckle Salvage is starting some sort of collaboration with the Bike Collective. From Facebook;

There is plenty on the horizon for Honeysuckle Salvage! We are busy creating artwork for our “Bike Collective Series”, which benefits the Provo Bicycle Collective — an amazing non-profit organization based in Provo, UT. We will be giving you a sneak peak soon! These works are created as a coordinated effort with 2 of the founders, Scott Manning and Kate Chandler, using their original (and amazing) photographs as inspiration. We love giving back, so stay tuned for the Bike Collective Series! Coming soon to Honeysuckle Salvage.

If the work looks like anything they have on their site right now I am really really excited to see what they come up with. We will keep you posted.

Went to the Provo Farmers Market this weekend, and was pleasantly surprised by a few bicycle friendly additions. I am not sure which one I was most excited about so these are coming at you in no particular order.

The handsome gentleman above is Greg Caldwell, and he makes some very beautiful ceramic must haves.

The robot on his bike is my all time favorite.

Got mine! Make sure to get yours.

Next up is the most awesome thing to ever happen to our awesome Market. FREE VALET BIKE PARKING! Thanks to the Provo Bicycle Collective. This is honestly the greatest thing ever as I am always concerned about my bike when I am at the Market because there are no good lock up points. If you do not normally go to the Farmers Market now is the time to start even if it is just to say you have had your bike valet parked.

The things that make both of these new additions even better is that they are right across the way from each other. This will allow you to get your bike valet parked, and then get your bike inspired bowl/cup. See you at the Market next week.