Building Community With Bikes

Despite its notoriously chilly climate, Minneapolis is one of the top two mid- to large-sized U.S. cities for bicycle traffic. In response, the city—and at least one of its CUs—is leading the nation with bike-friendly initiatives.

Last June $1.7 billion Affinity Plus Credit Union introduced a bike-through lane in one of its college-based branches. According to Business Development Specialist Ben Hering, opening a lane for cyclists was a natural response to member interests.

"In seeing what our city has done to accommodate bicyclists through dedicated bikeways and increased services, we decided we wanted to be a part of that," Hering says. “We recognized that many of our members were already using our drive-through on their bikes, so in order to better serve them and increase safety for bikers and motorists alike, we designated one lane as a bike-through lane.”

Affinity Plus CU's new bike-through lane is, for all intents and purposes, identical to a drive-through lane and shared by motorists. Members can access the same services as motorists during the same hours, but the bike lane features signage that welcomes cyclists and alerts motorists to mixed traffic.

Marketing the new lane to CU members became a priority when a new public transportation line, the Green Line, opened up with a stop near one of the CU's college-based branches. Affinity Plus CU used the Green Line's opening in June as an opportunity to initiate its new lane, and to spread the word.

"We were trying to really get the conversation started on what a bike-through lane looks like," Hering says. "... we've had a chance to connect with a number of members, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. It's been a delight for both parties. The bikers and the cars are being very respectful of each other."

According to Hering, the initiative was successful because of the CU’s hard work and communication efforts, as well as the vested interest the CU has in the community.

"First and foremost, we just strive to create unique experiences for our members. In that vein, I think we've started to succeed," Hering says. "Our members love it; they love the sign and they think other (driving) members have been very kind. There's even a bike club that meets on Monday mornings at our university branch."

As sustainability and transportation costs become more salient issues, bike-through lanes are a simple and easily replicated tool many CUs could use to reach out to their members. At Affinity Plus CU, the process was as simple as asking members who arrived by bike for their input. When members enthusiastically supported the idea of a bike-friendly lane, Affinity Plus CU decided to make it a reality.

"First and foremost, talk to the members," Hering says. "By getting members involved, by increasing awareness, and by having a really good point of conversation, it's been a really great way to launch this."

In a time of changing landscapes for the CU world, feasible changes like a bike lane show a vested interest in CU member concerns. Showing that a CU shares the values of the larger community can encourage member loyalty and solidarity.

"I can see us moving forward and doing this at other branches, if there's an audience of bikers that would use it," Hering says. "We're going to come out in the end with something that's beneficial for not only our (CU) members, but also for the members of our community."

Kait Vosswinkel was a CUES summer intern.

Photocredit: Affinity Plus Credit Union