Bicycle Safety Workplace Initiatives: Successful Programs
Humana Inc.
500 W. Main St.
Louisville, KY 40202
Humana Contact:
Nate Kvamme
Director
Innovation Center – Integrated Consumer Experience
Humana’s Mission
Humana Inc. is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies, with approximately 11.3 million medical members. Humana offers health insurance products and related services to employer groups, government-sponsored plans, and individuals. For more information about Humana Inc., visit www.humana.com.
Wellness Philosophy
Over its 46-year history, Humana has seized opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified customer portfolio.
“Humana is leading by example in promoting environmental conservation, sustainability, and health by encouraging our associates to increase their physical activity and reduce their carbon footprint,” said Grant Harrison, vice president of Humana’s Integrated Consumer Experience. “Freewheelin is about freedom. You can express yourself in a new and healthy way while helping your health and the environment.”
Project Description
In September 2007, Humana launched a first-of-its-kind bicycle program for its 8,500 associates in Louisville. The program – called Freewheelin – encourages Humana associates to incorporate healthy habits and activities into their daily routines. Whether it’s riding a bike to meetings, to work, or to lunch, the program is about being healthier and “greener” in everyday life.
The program has “cruiser style” three-speed bikes with automatic shifters and “commuter-style” bikes designed for longer treks, such as for commuting or lunchtime recreational rides. The system uses Trek's Lime bikes -- top-of-the-line, safe, and easy to use.
With safety is a top priority, helmets are provided for every biker, many of them generously donated by and Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson’s Healthy Hometown program. Freewheelin incorporates working partnerships across the private sector, public sector, and the biking industry. Humana, the City of Louisville, and Trek hope to inspire other communities to put together similar programs to improve America’s health and environment. Freewheelin is being piloted in Louisville and will be evaluated for expansion to other Humana locations.
Humana, which employs 25,000 people nationwide, partnered with Trek Bicycles and Louisville mayor Jerry Abramson to bring the $70,000 program to life. Local bike shop Scheller’s Fitness and Cycling provides bike education and maintains the bikes. Employees swipe their ID card to check out a Trek Lime bike from several different loan stations, CycleStations, designed by Canadian firm QI Systems, Inc which are powered by solar panels mounted on the bike racks.
Humana provides employees a magnetic access card to check out the bikes as well as a helmet. CycleStation secures the bikes with a unique locking mechanism that verifies vehicle location, checks the unit in and out, and bills for usage. And CycleStation collects data such as distance traveled per trip, how long the bike was checked out, what it was used for and the demographics of the rider. Humana's operations are scattered among a number of downtown buildings, and employees frequently use the bikes to travel between them, to ride to lunch or just take cruise around on their break for some exercise.
Program Results
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12 percent of those who participated said it was their first time on a bike
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50 percent said they want to introduce activity into their work day
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76 percent of rides are taken during a work break
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40 percent of bikes are taken home during the weekend
In addition, Humana found that more women than men signed up for the program. The organization plans to add more bikes and bike stations and sees Freewheelin’ as a “real opportunity” because it touches on things people care about—their health score and their carbon score.
Special Considerations
The accountability that is in place with employees using their identification cards counters what has sunk other bike lending programs, i.e., people not taking care of or not returning bikes. Before credit card swipes were available to check out bikes in municipal programs in Paris or Amersterdam, loss of and damage to the bikes was too common to make the programs viable.
