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The District this week approved rebates for purchasing e-bikes, becoming the latest U.S. city to embrace the method to help get more people out of cars and onto bicycles while advancing goals to cut pollution and congestion.
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The D.C. Council unanimously approved legislation to create financial incentives for hopeful e-bike buyers, mainly for lower-income residents, with vouchers ranging from $75 for bike locks to $2,000 for an e-bike. The bill is headed to Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) for her signature.
The program mirrors efforts in other cities that issue rebate checks or other incentives to help residents cut the cost of e-bikes, a recognition of the high cost of the vehicles and their potential to reduce car reliance. The legislation is the latest indication of the city’s desire to expand and encourage bike usage after years of building a bike lane network and becoming one of the nation’s most bike-friendly cities.
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The D.C. program resembles an e-bike program in Denver, which has spent nearly $5 million in e-bike vouchers while becoming a national model for cities turning to the bikes as a way to cut emissions and ease traffic. In the first year of the program, Denver officials said e-bikes from the program replaced more than 100,000 miles of driving every week.
Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), the bill’s chief sponsor, said the program will be particularly important to bring e-bike access to low-income residents, while he said the legislation is likely to have a significant effect on residents’ reliance on private cars.
“An e-bike can cut the time of a trip through the city in half without ever breaking a sweat,” Allen said in a statement. “With more bicycle infrastructure built every year, your trips become safer and quicker. You’re doing your part to fight climate change and improve air quality in the District.”
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The program has two tiers of incentives: One offers up to $750 to any city resident for the purchase of an e-bike or $1,000 for a cargo e-bike. For low-income residents, a second tier increases the voucher size to $1,500 for an e-bike and $2,000 for a cargo e-bike.
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The program also calls for rebates for battery replacements, the cost of bike locks and the costs for adaptive components for riders with disabilities. The legislation would authorize the District Department of Transportation to issue grants to bike shops ahead of the projected increase in demand for them to boost their number of bike mechanics.
The council has approved $500,000 for the program in the fiscal year that will start Oct. 1. At least half of the funds are required to go to residents who qualify for public assistance.
E-bikes have grown more popular in the United States — and in the Washington region — in the past several years. Research by the National Institute for Transportation and Communities found that people who buy e-bikes are reducing their reliance on cars.
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Users say e-bikes eliminate barriers for people who may be discouraged from riding a traditional bicycle because of age, disability or limited physical fitness. Some commuters also prefer them because they make for a less strenuous, and less sweaty, ride. But bike advocates say the cost can be a major barrier for potential users. E-bikes, which have a motor and battery to propel riders, can cost about $2,000, putting them out of reach for many.
Transportation officials for years have said they can’t ignore demand for e-bikes if they want to encourage bike commuting. DDOT is planning a bike giveaway at an event next month, coming after the city recently subsidized an expansion of Capital Bikeshare’s e-bike fleet.
Allen’s office said the program is expected to go into effect later this year, but it is unclear when purchases will be eligible for rebates. DDOT will be tasked with setting up the program in the coming months.
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In a statement Wednesday, DDOT said Bowser and the agency support the program, which it said would help to encourage sustainable travel in the city.
“Subsidizing these devices, especially for those who cannot otherwise afford them, helps DDOT meet [its] safety, equity, mobility, and sustainability goals,” the agency said in a statement, citing the city’s goal to achieve 75 percent non-auto commuter trips from District residents by 2032.
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