Starting January 1st 2012, Rainbow Grocery will no longer offer a 10% discount to members of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition (SFBC)
Since 2007, Rainbow Grocery has partnered with SFBC primarily by providing this discount to its members. The promotion had multiple purposes: our cooperative wished to support more bicycling within the city, increase the membership of the SFBC, and continue to fulfill one of the many goals defined in our Mission Statement to “encourage bicycling…and alternative transportation”. We collectively feel that this promotion has been a success! With its broader membership, the hard work performed by the SFBC has brought more bike racks throughout the city, new networks of bike lanes, and a strong public voice for bicycle enthusiasts in our city government. Bicyclist awareness has grown and San Francisco has become a national model of a safer bicycle-friendly city. Between 2006 and 2009, our city has seen a 53% increase in bicyclists and although we do not claim responsibility for this increase, our cooperative is proud to have contributed our efforts.
Although Rainbow Grocery Cooperative democratically voted to end the discount, this does not change our close relationship with the SFBC, and though that specific financial incentive will no longer be available, Rainbow Grocery’s ongoing efforts still include hosting in-house raffles to give away free bicycles, expanding our bicycle parking for customers, and maintaining a favored destination as a “Bike to Work” Energizer-Station. We also hope to continue our support of the SFBC through our Grants/Donations Program. We are firm believers that supporting bicycling as a form of transportation remains one of the best ways to minimize air pollution, help reduce traffic congestion, and stay healthy. We hope that the momentum generated from this relationship will continue to flourish San Francisco’s bicycling community.
