Here’s some need-to-know information for the week:
City finalizing e-bike incentive details
Earlier this year, City Council expressed interest in the city offering e-bike incentives similar to those recently launched in other communities. In response, a cross-departmental staff team was created to design City of Boulder e-bike incentives to launch this year.
Broadly, the incentives seek to expand access to e-bikes, encourage local adoption, and better understand the role e-bikes play in advancing Boulder's climate and transportation goals. The project is a cross-departmental effort led by the city’s Transportation and Mobility Department, and funding is provided through the city's Climate Tax.
Discount vouchers will be given to a limited number of city of Boulder residents to cover part of the cost of an e-bike bought from a participating local bike shop. There will be two types of vouchers, standard and income-qualified, which vary in value. Income-qualified applicants will receive larger discounts to help cover the initial cost of an e-bike and important equipment. This could include helmets, child seats and bike locks to encourage safe, frequent use.
There will be two rounds of vouchers released this year. The first round of 200 vouchers will likely occur in July and the second in September. City staff are working with several local organizations, including Community Cycles, to increase community awareness about the incentives, better reach income-qualified community members, host application workshops, and provide technical assistance. Interested community members will complete an online application, and voucher recipients will be chosen by random selection after the application deadline. Bike shops will be reimbursed for vouchers used at their stores.
A new webpage provides an overview of the incentives, information on how to apply, answers to frequently asked questions, and access to an email alert sign-up form. Email alerts will share important, timely information about the incentive application. Staff have presented a detailed overview of the incentives to the Environmental and Transportation Advisory Boards for their feedback.
For more information, please contact staff through our dedicated EbikeIncentives2023@bouldercolorado.gov email address, or view the project webpage.
Regards,
Nuria