About Bikes 4 Employees
Statement of Purpose
Bikes for Employees advances equity in transportation, employment access, financial wellness, physical and mental health, sustainability, community, and joy by distributing new high-quality bicycles and support services to transportation insecure Detroiters.
Our Impact
2024 Outcomes:
- 37% of recipient trips to work were by bike, more than any other mode including driving.
- 95% of recipients reported improved physical health.
- 82% of recipients are able to get to work, training, or school more reliably.
- 86% of recipients saved money by biking.
- Recipients frequently feeling stressed or overwhelmed decreased from 39% to 20%.
- Recipients were 77% Black and 61% female with an average age of 37.
Our Team
Scott Benson
Scott Benson
Scott Benson
Scott Benson not only serves on the board of directors for Major Taylor Michigan Cycling Advocacy but has also helped lead the Bikes 4 Employees (B4E) program since its inception in the year 2020. With over 20 years experience in the Coast Guard, achieving the rank of Commander, he is no stranger to hard work and devotion to duty. He ear
Scott Benson not only serves on the board of directors for Major Taylor Michigan Cycling Advocacy but has also helped lead the Bikes 4 Employees (B4E) program since its inception in the year 2020. With over 20 years experience in the Coast Guard, achieving the rank of Commander, he is no stranger to hard work and devotion to duty. He earned a Masters of Urban Planning from Wayne State University and holds a certificate in finance from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. He has a passion for preserving the environment and is known for riding his bike to work and around the community. Scott’s expertise and experience with boosting jobs, economic development, and corridor revitalization dovetail with B4E’s work getting more people on bikes for transportation.
Jeremy Lewis
Scott Benson
Scott Benson
Jeremy is a passionate community economic developer, engagement leader, and advocate for small businesses, with a strong focus on the triple bottom line—people, planet, and profit. He has extensive experience in designing and executing community engagement strategies and support programs for small businesses. An avid cyclist, Jeremy uses
Jeremy is a passionate community economic developer, engagement leader, and advocate for small businesses, with a strong focus on the triple bottom line—people, planet, and profit. He has extensive experience in designing and executing community engagement strategies and support programs for small businesses. An avid cyclist, Jeremy uses cycling not only for leisure and fitness but also as a practical mode of transportation. He is deeply interested in the intersection of holistic community development and mobility, particularly in communities where access and infrastructure are significant challenges. Jeremy holds a BA in Communications from Hampton University, a Master’s in Community Development from the University of Detroit Mercy, and an Executive Certification in Nonprofit Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Mark "Marco" Speeks
Mark "Marco" Speeks
Mark "Marco" Speeks
Mark is the founder of Major Taylor Michigan Cycling Advocacy (MTM). He is committed to breaking down systemic barriers in cycling and making the freedom of bicycling accessible to all Michiganders. MTM was born from his vision to create a more inclusive and equitable cycling community for underserved and underrepresented populations. Mar
Mark is the founder of Major Taylor Michigan Cycling Advocacy (MTM). He is committed to breaking down systemic barriers in cycling and making the freedom of bicycling accessible to all Michiganders. MTM was born from his vision to create a more inclusive and equitable cycling community for underserved and underrepresented populations. Mark's passion extends beyond MTM, as he serves on the board of the League of Michigan Bicyclists, the state’s largest bicycle advocacy organization. As a certified cycling instructor with the League of American Bicyclists, the largest bicycling organization in the nation, he champions cycling education as a tool for empowerment and transformation.
Tim Springer
Mark "Marco" Speeks
Mark "Marco" Speeks
Up until the fall of 2020, Tim was a non-car-owner his entire life except briefly in 1984
when he owned a VW bug that caught on fire and burned up. Tim co-founded and ran the
Midtown Greenway Coalition in Minneapolis for 19 years, successfully advocating for the creation of what is now our country’s #1 urban bikeway. In 2016 he conducted a
Up until the fall of 2020, Tim was a non-car-owner his entire life except briefly in 1984
when he owned a VW bug that caught on fire and burned up. Tim co-founded and ran the
Midtown Greenway Coalition in Minneapolis for 19 years, successfully advocating for the creation of what is now our country’s #1 urban bikeway. In 2016 he conducted a project called Envisioning Detroit as the World’s Greenways Capital for the Detroit Greenways Coalition. He helped create the Bikes 4 Employees program. He serves as an officer on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Black and White Men Together, a gay interracial group. He holds an M.A. in Energy and Resources from UC, Berkeley, and a B.A. in Biology from Colby College in Maine. Tim splits his time between Minneapolis and
Detroit.
Ongoing Leadership: Detroit Councilman Scott Benson
Key Supporters and Partners
