On a sweltering Sunday, Atlanta’s cyclists and citizens showed out for the launch of the city’s first-ever e-bike rebate program on June 16. People could test drive e-bikes from a number of participating bike shops at the event, kicking off the rebate lottery at Atlanta Streets Alive.
The monthly open streets event encourages residents to walk, bike and scooter through the center of the city while certain roads are shut down to cars. But on June 16 it went a step further, pushing residents to apply online for a chance at a heavily discounted e-bike.
Atlanta’s e-bike rebate program is open for applications through June 23 thanks to a partnership between the city, which invested $1 million into the program and the Atlanta Regional Commission. It’s designed to provide affordable and eco-friendly transportation to moderate and low-income residents — 75 percent of the rebates are reserved for low-income individuals.
Income limit varies based on household size, defined as the “total number of individuals living within a housing unit who are related by birth, marriage or adoption.” It starts at $60,200 for an individual.
Applicants who are income-eligible can receive $1,500 for a standard e-bike and $2,000 for a cargo e-bike designed to hold heavier loads and children. Non-income based rebates offer $500 for standard e-bikes and $1,500 for cargo e-bikes. Recipients will have to redeem the bike at participating Atlanta bike shops, where they will automatically receive the discount at checkout.
Since it is a lottery selection, not every applicant is guaranteed a rebate. But the city expects to distribute up to 700 bikes through the life of the program.
Atlanta City Council Member Matt Westmoreland worked with PropelATL to pioneer the program launch. Less than a day after the application link went live, he said more than 500 people had already applied.
“It suggests to me that we’re gonna go through our million dollars really quickly, and I’m excited about sending you all some more money in the near future,” Westmoreland said.
Propel ATL Executive Director Rebecca Serna said she has seen interest in e-bikes long before the launch of the rebate program, but cost kept many from the alternative transportation option.
“We started looking into it, and we found that some other cities have rebate programs,” Serna said. “We thought that would be great for Atlanta, we’re a hilly city where sprawled public transit isn’t frequent enough, and this can be a great tie-in with public transportation.”
Serna said e-bike can fill gaps in public transit and offer an alternative to car commuters. Some residents like Makeisha Robey have used e-bikes to avoid owning a car entirely. She uses a long tail cargo e-bike to get around town with her child.
“We have been able to go to the grocery store to buy the things we need, to stop by the doctor, to go to the park, to even have the financial freedom to start a business,” Robey said. “So getting these e-bikes is not just for recreation for some families like myself.’
Bennett Foster, the Director of Innovation and Partnerships at ARC, said the bikes could help with shorter trips around the region.
“Half of all the trips we take in the region are under five miles, and so this thing could gobble up all these high volume, short distance trips that we’re all taking every day, regardless of the heat, the humidity or the hills,” Foster said.
He hopes the e-bike will put off concerns about hilly landscapes, high temperatures and dangerous traffic. With more people on the road, he thinks it can promote cyclist-centered investments like protected bike lanes in the region.
Atlanta resident Brandon Todd said he’s never owned an e-bike, but the rebate program has encouraged him to try out for the lottery and reduce car commutes. He also said it provides a level of accessibility that typical bikes don’t.
“I’m feeling excited,” Todd said. “Being that I’m an amputee, I’m able to receive additional push with the pedal assist.”
While the current program only has about 700 e-bikes to offer, Foster thinks the enthusiasm for the rebates will translate to more electronic bicycles on roads across the region. He sees it as an eco-friendly, affordable investment in Metro Atlanta’s landscape.
“We want to put transportation in people’s hands, reliable, clean, affordable transportation, and that’s what this program is going to do,” Foster said.
Residents can apply here until June 23.
I would love to be considered for one of the bikes. which, would be a big help for my famiily . and, for me personally. Thing is. my zip code is 15 or so miles. Outside of Atl. can anyone help?