Amazon already subsidizes parking or public transportation for its HQ2 employees in Arlington, Virginia, and now will even pay them to bike to work.
The bike commuting subsidy applies to its corporate employees in Arlington, as well as other Amazon office locations such as its Seattle headquarters, where it says 20% of its employees already bike or walk to work.
The subsidy varies by location, but Amazon says the bike to work subsidy for HQ2 employees is up to $350 a month.
“We are looking forward to welcoming our employees back to our offices and want to encourage them to rethink the way they get to and from work, so we’re creating new incentives to pick a greener way to commute — even if it is just one or two days a week,” said Amazon Vice President of Global Real Estate John Schoettler.
“Reducing our carbon footprint is a multifaceted effort that includes building urban and well-connected campuses, designing buildings that use renewable energy, and making it easy for employees to choose public transportation over their single-occupancy vehicles.”
The subsidy covers costs of leasing a bike, bike share expenses, maintenance (including two tuneups a year) and bike parking at public transit facilities or offices without Amazon bike cages.
Amazon now has more than 1,600 employees working in the buildings it is currently leasing in Crystal City as part of HQ2, with current openings for another 1,900.