Small towns getting creative to boost e-bike use

Yes, the e-bike tax credit program was given the okay last week and is heading to the Senate for approval, and that’s huge for so many people.

The E-Bike Act includes a 30 percent tax credit over five years to purchase an e-bike beginning in 2022,  but it’s not the only game in town. Others, even in small towns, are getting innovative to serve the growing demand for e-bikes whether it is through town e-bike share charging stations or creating programs that allow residents to purchase e-bikes on credit to be paid for through utility bills.

For instance, the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado has had a bike share system since 2013 — a first for a North American mountain town. Now, bike share provider We-Cycle has launched two off-the-grid, solar-powered charging stations with electric bicycles.

“For years, the [Roaring Fork] Valley has demonstrated itself to be a pioneer when it comes to transportation and renewable energy,” said Mirte Mallory, co-founder and executive director of We-Cycle, to the Better Bike Partnership. “This new, local partnership is inspiring more people to choose bikes over cars and it feels aligned with the values of our Valley.”

We-Cycle established the bike-share system in 2013. Since then, the non-profit community organization added a Movimiento en Bici program in 2016 that is geared toward Latinx residents of Basalt, Willits, and El Jebel and the new solar project with SkyHook Solar.

“This idea was on our radar from the beginning as we anticipated the transition to e-bikes in the bike share industry,” says Daniel Delano, president, and CEO of SkyHook Solar. “E-bikes just seem to make sense for bike share programs.”

According to Delano, there are 25 e-bikes in the towns of Aspen and Basalt and the stations require consistent sun but thinks the concept is scalable and should work pretty much anywhere. So far, e-bikes are used at a rate five times higher than traditional bicycles.

E-bikes are only as clean and grid as the electricity grid upon which they are charged. With solar, this issue is avoided.

“If e-bikes recharge on the grid, then they’re only as clean as the grid is,” says Delano. “Our aim is to make the transition to e-bikes as clean and efficient as possible.”

Although e-bikes are growing quite rapidly, the high price tag is still a barrier to entry, and incentives are still a fairly novel concept.

In the small mountain city of Nelson, British Columbia, the municipal government, noticing a growing demand, made the move to help its residents financially for them to afford e-bikes and pay them off over time.

The city, which you might recall from the Steve Martin film Roxanne, established a program to provide low-interest financing to purchase commuter bikes

The program provides low-interest financing of up to $8,000 per house for Nelson homeowners to purchase a commuter bike. The loan is re-paid monthly on the homeowner’s Nelson Hydro electric bill over two or five years.

“This program is a way for city residents to take advantage of another great initiative offered by the City of Nelson’s EcoSave program,” says Mayor John Dooley. “We are fortunate to own our hydro utility where we can offer on-bill financing to help reduce your energy consumption and lower carbon emissions in the community.”

The city has already received over 80 applications, more than 40 have resulted in purchased bikes, which could account for some 90,000 kilometers of vehicle use.

Nelson has also established a staff e-bike purchase program, in addition to installing new bike racks, and secure bicycle parking in the downtown area.

“Thanks to Nelson’s forward-thinking and instituting this E-bike Purchase Program, I have been able to purchase bikes for myself and my partner.” says resident Hal Mitchell. “The use of our bikes in town has definitely led to a reduction in our use of the car.”

There is another option being developed in the Vermont area where Local Motion, a bike advocacy group founded in 1999, is having success with its e-bike lending library.

According to Local Motion, borrowers take home an e-bike for one week to find out how it fits into their lives and how it can replace car trips and transform their daily transportation needs. The fleet includes cargo bikes with a rear rack, a front-loading cargo bike, and several commuter options, all with an electric assist.

“E-bikes are a transportation option that is becoming more familiar and necessary, and the goal of this program is to introduce Vermonters to how they can be incorporated into everyday life and replace car trips,” states Local Motion. “Borrowers get the chance to experience a full weekend with the bike as well as several weekdays, so they can test it out across all aspects of their lives. From commuting to work to picking up groceries, e-bikes provide an extra boost of power that makes miles feel shorter and cargo feel lighter.”

The group has numerous programs all designed to get people on bicycles as a regular part of their lives including valet bike parking, safe routes to schools programs, education for kids, and workshops to teach everyday bicycle skills and maintenance.

The e-bike lending library is mobile and travels between six Vermont communities.