Editor’s Note: Due to the impact of COVID-19, more of our associates are exercising flexibility in where they spend their workday. We have adapted this initial goal and are now aiming to have 10% of Home Office associates choose alternate forms of transportation, including bikes, on their commute by the end of 2025.
When we announced our new Home Office plans in May, we unveiled a campus that will be integrated with the community and designed to support pedestrians and cyclists of all types. What we didn’t share is our goal for how our Home Office associates will get to work and move around campus throughout the day.
Today, only a small group of our associates commute to work on bicycles. We want to change that. Our goal is for 10% of our Bentonville-based Home Office associates to ride bicycles to work by 2023.
Northwest Arkansas has gotten so many things right when it comes to recreational cycling. Our trail system has become a world-class mountain biking destination, and the energy for bicycles is palpable. With such a robust cultural foundation and existing infrastructure, it’s time to start thinking about transportation. About 7,500 of our associates live within 5 miles of the new campus and 4,000 live within 3 miles. We see the potential impact they can make in the area, and we think bicycles can be a viable mobility option.
Multi-modal and alternative transportation is a big part of the future of commuting, so we’re investing in infrastructure and technology to make bicycle commuting a viable and seamless experience. We’re designing the new campus to facilitate transportation choices that are healthier, reduce traffic and parking strains, and support the well-being of the greater community. Each neighborhood on the new campus will have bike storage, showers, and changing rooms, and campus bicycles will be available for associates to ride between buildings and to their vehicles.
We’re also prioritizing safety and education for both motorists and bicycle commuters, and we’re identifying incentive options to encourage adoption. We’re building a bicycle commuting culture through activities and events and integrating our efforts with the community.
We have a dedicated local support system of people and organizations who are passionate about bicycle advocacy, and we’ve partnered with them to evaluate the future of transportation for our associates, visitors, and local residents. There’s tremendous potential, and we want to seize those opportunities by investing in our people.
Bentonville is consistently listed as a unique example of what a bicycle-friendly town can be, but we still have a lot of work to do. We’re learning as we go and breaking down barriers to make bicycle commuting the future of transportation in our community.
So, let’s ride.
The journey continues here: walmart.com/newhomeoffice.
