Bikes Belong just announced that Volkswagen will donate “significant funding” to support their ongoing People For Bikes campaign and other programs the organizations funds like like the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.
Here’s an excerpt from the press release:
“We are working with VW as part of its Think Blue initiative, which encompasses all of the company’s efforts to promote eco-friendly mobility and encourage environmentally conscious behavior. VW has a history of working to improve its sustainability. Its factory in Chattanooga is the only auto manufacturing plant in the world to be LEED Platinum Certified. The VW factory in Wolfsburg, Germany has 5,500 bikes for employees to use for transportation.”
VW president and CEO Jonathan Browning says they are pleased to partner with Bikes Belong in order to, “ensure that people of all ages can safely share the road, saving fuel and reducing pollution and traffic congestion.”
Bikes Belong says they’ve already signed up over 500,000 people on their People For Bikes petition that launched in March 2010 and VW’s help could allow them to reach their goal of 1 million people by the end of this year.
“Mainstream support like this is huge for bicycling in America,” says Bikes Belong.
It’s also interesting to note that earlier this month Bikes Belong hired their first ever full-time Director of Government Relations. That position is held by Ivette Rivera Hayes, who joined Bikes Belong after 20 years as the Executive Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).