Residents of Contra Costa County can now receive cash rebates for new electric bicycles, or e-bikes, through a pilot program launched by 511 Contra Costa.
A limited number of $150 rebates are available for residents of each of the county’s 19 cities, and another batch for residents of unincorporated areas, to help buy e-bikes, e-bike conversion kits and electric mopeds (with a maximum speed less than 30 mph). Low-income residents would receive $300 rebates.
E-bikes are valued as a clean alternative to using an internal combustion vehicle for short to medium distances on local streets.
The rebates are applicable to e-bike purchases beginning Thursday, and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
“E-bikes offer several key benefits as an alternative to driving – they reduce congestion, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, eliminate parking dilemmas, and can help bridge those first and last mile trips to transit – plus they are just really cool,” said Contra Costa Transportation Authority Executive Director Randell Iwasaki.
Kirsten Riker, project manager with 511 Contra Costa, said one of that transportation program’s goals with the rebates is to introduce Contra Costa residents to e-bikes and to make them easier to obtain.
To learn more about current rebate availability by city, visit 511CC.org/rebate.
Normally I’m not big on wacky social programs, but I think this actually might be pretty cool. The problem is, I think Americans have gotten so used to the comfort of writing in a car that even with the option of biking or useful public transit, people will still prefer the car.
I personally have a motorcycle, which I commute on all the time. In many ways it’s so much better than driving a car, but obviously it’s a lot less comfortable and so it is an active decision to ride versus drive.
Agree, this might be a good bridge for ppl who are afraid of motorcycles or scooters. I personally had a really bad motorcycle accident several years ago and can’t dodge anything 2 wheeled anymore. I’m hopeful that incentives like this and the recent move to remote work will do a lot to help with congestion and pollution.
I do not think they should be allowed on the IRON HORSE TRAILS! The riders of these go way too fast. Dangerous for moms with strollers and anyone on foot.
I mean, the guys going fast on bikes/skateboards/etc on foot trails are dangerous, period, electric motor or not. A trained bicyclist on a road bike can easily achieve 25-30 MPH without any motor assistance whatsoever, so I don’t see it as a valid argument against electric bikes that has roughly the same unassisted top speed.
A capable, fit bicyclist can easily achieve 25 to 30 MPH on a road bike, with NO battery and NO motor. So really any bicyclist is just as “dangerous” to women and children and invalids and the elderly and boxes of kittens as a ebicyclist, if they’re irresponsible and reckless.
Note: e-scooters and e-skateboards do not qualify
Now that pisses me off, there is no reason not to extend this to electric scooters except arguably the lack of exercise potential versus a electric bike. Electric bikes are more complex with far more parts, are therefore more failure prone and also more expensive.
So, let’s see how this works.
I earn money and pay taxes on what I earn.
I decide to purchase an electric bike.
I spend my post tax money and pay tax on the purchase.
I then get a rebate made up from some portion of my tax dollars and I have to pay a tax on the rebate.
Along with license fees and disposal fees and probably even training fees all I do is pay taxes.
I buy a bike from a neighbor, pay no taxes and ride free from additional tax burdens.
Or I can simply walk, but they’ll be taxing that soon enough, probably for poluting the air when I exhale.
Training fees? Have you ever ridden an e-bike?
It say,s “probably even training fees” because I can’t imagine our government insisting on over complicating every area of our lives and charging us all for the service.
I am certain that somewhere there is someone who will demand approved training be mandatory.
Personally I like the idea of electric bikes and I may get one some day.
What the heck?! How about $150 to buy a regular bicycle for people living a little closer to the ground? This reminds me of the perks they had rolled out to get people to buy electric cars. Those electric mopeds ain’t cheap. If you are seriously considering buying one you already have money. That $150 is just some mild socialism for the rich. If all these new electric vehicles are so great (they are), then people will buy them (they are). This is just bad fiscal policy.
They’re not THAT expensive. You can buy a decent electric scooter that’ll do 15-20mph and have a 12-20 mile range for under $400 or $500. You can buy a folding fattire bike like the Lectric Xp for like $900, around $750 if you wait for a sale. Such a vehicle will pay for itself ultimately if used often enough in favor of a gas-guzzling car, in a matter of several hundred miles.
I stand corrected. Guess I’ve only talked to people that had deluxe ones.
Seasonal vehicles, not safe, limited people use them, not good for anything but maybe going back and forth to work locally.
What’s your point, honestly? If you only used your Ebike 300 miles a year to get to and from work when the weather is nice, that would still be a massive benefit to everyone involved.
– one less car on the road, less traffic
– One less full parking spot someone else can’t use
– Far less pollution in the air, the average car gets less than 25mpg last I checked
– Greater physical fitness and health for the rider, meaning less potential taxpayer expense in their lifetime, more tax income for the state/nation.
Perhaps I am a romantic, but I could see the benefits of this being so massive as to want to double the rebate amount, or make it a % amount.
Unelected bureaucrats gotta show off how “green” they are.
IF . . . there is a viable market out there, let the free market system prove it.
Bought one of those electric two wheel scooters 20 years ago to keep up with Grandkids, batteries wore out and were too expensive to replace.
Well battery technology has improved massively, your old scooter was lead acid 99% odds, which is not well suited to this use. Now you can have Lithium-Ion or Li-Po batteries which will have 90% of their charge after 500 uses, if treated properly.
Your argument is kind of like saying the internet is a waste of time since the internet 20 years ago was far more crude and less user-friendly.
Another double edged sword- mentally ill folks make walking/ hiking on our beautiful trails dangerous and annoying with the noise.
It’s impossible to keep the bicyclists off the deer trails – now we have to deal with this….
Who is WE? The me-me-mepeople?
Sounds like you’re on the deer trails too! Why can’t bicycles use single track, but its okay for a heard of 2,000lb cows? You concerned about the natural vegetation too? I’m sure those ranchers have those cows to only eat those invasive plant species and leave the native species alone!
Any random fit bicyclist on a pedal-bike can do 25-30MPH, no problem.
So what does a motor change? If they’re going to fly on a foot trail and be dangerous, they’ll do it under their own power or with a motor.
The pollution from these fires wiped out any gains that were made from “green” energy and electric for years to come.
Ya’ll need to focus on fire prevention, but that’s asking too much of the children in office and in this county.
There is an electric scooter down the street you can have for free. Lime green and only stolen once.
My tax payments are used to let someone buy an electric bicycle. Do you have any idea how crooked this is? If you don’t get it there is no use to explain.
Remember, now, this IS California. This is exactly what happens under single-party rule. We have a lot of friends and neighbors who are selling and moving out-of-state.
Really think about this. If that person on the bike is using it instead of a car, there is massively less pollution: you benefit. The person riding the bike is in better health than a non bike-rider and drains less medical resources and tax dollars: you benefit. There is one less car on the road during rush hour, and one less full parking spot you can’t use when you arrive: you benefit.
The more people who bike instead of drive, the more you win. The more who drive while you are also driving, the more miserable you will be.
Additional, this is just like rebates for hybrid and electric cars, except even more justifiable and worthy of tax dollars, if you ask me.
You benefit. Every guy on an ebike means:
– One less car on the road getting in your way, jamming up traffic
– One less full parking spot you can’t use
– Less wear on the roadways. Maybe our ~$125 state registration cost would go down. Cars ruin roads.
– Far less pollution in the air, average car gets less than 25mpg
– Greater physical fitness for the rider, meaning decreased tax expenditure during their lifetime for medical care and increased tax payment
You seriously win huge for every car-driver you convince to occasionally ride their bike.
Everybody wins.
Well, as long as the bikes stay in the bike lane.
This morning I saw a guy whizzing up the street and wondered what the line was between an electric bicycle and an electric motorcycle. This guy was riding either a very beefy bicycle or a lightweight motorcycle. He had no helmet and was booking along at 40 MPH.
Many people are riding e-bikes at 25 MPH or faster on the local pedestrian/bicycle trails despite that those trails have a 15 MPH speed limit.
Any fit bicyclist on a decent roadbike can hit 25-30mph. If they wanted to be a menace and endanger lives going that speed on a crowded foot trail, a battery would not change matters.
A total deal until you realize that an e-bike is between $2.5 and $10K.
Nonsense, they start at under $700 last I checked. You can get a basic, folding fat tire bike that will go a little under 25mph for like $750 last I looked.
Not to mention conversion kits, which are covered.
The rebate for low income people is $300. There are electric bikes on the market in the $600-900 dollar range. Gas to drive a car around is expensive, bus and BART fare add up over time. Some low income people may find that an electric bike is a good economic decision for their circumstance. Some people will splurge if it means avoiding public transportation, given the Covid situation.
A rebate can also be used towards a conversion kit, so instead of buying a brand new electric bike, a person can take a used bike and convert their bike at a lower cost. This will be particularly helpful for lower income people.
These rebates are limited, and ever since Covid started, bikes have been in high demand and short supply.
I like how the low income folks will get the $300 rebate
Eastbay regional Parks did a huge study on the iron horse Trail and e-bikes. Their report says very small percentage of complaints were associated with electric bikes!
Among the e-bike users almost 80% were 55years or older many had health issues.
E-bike are peddle Assist and are limited to 17mph max, no biker would ride at max speed because it just burns your battery to fast.
I’m a e-biker and 55+ years old. And use the trail all the time. Biggest problem we see it testosterone filled road bikers dressed up in spandex outfits in a hurry to get to Trader Joe’s for their single serving dinner trays!
were very low a
I’m in favor of this. Electric biking is tons of fun, it’s clean, it’s relatively reliable and simple, and every person on a bike is one less car, one more empty parking space, and a load less Co2 and pollution.
@ken Cmon you know they aren’t limited to 17mph, at least the vast majority. Many Ebikes can hit 25-30 with a simple firmware nudge. I bought a electric scooter that had a claimed 14.5 top speed, it goes 20 from the factory. They seem to underestimate top speed, I assume for legal reasons.
100% in support. Every bike rider is someone who isn’t in a car, polluting massively more, contributing to traffic, taking up a parking spot. The most die-hard car enthusiast should even be behind this, it means more open road with fewer drivers to compete with. Every person who rides a bike regularly benefits health-wise and that comes out as a huge benefit to the taxpayer. If everyone got 30 minutes of exercise a day on their ebike we would have billions of dollars of surplus dollars in the budget.
Electric vehicles are VERY fun and more people should invest in one.
I’d rather tax payer money go to this than illegal aliens, that’s for sure!
I’ve commuted on the iron horse trail, using an ebike, for the past 3 years. My route, between home and work, is approximately 8 miles.
I am in my late 40’s and I have lost 20lbs since I started. I’ve saved well over 1000 driving miles (or a few tanks of fuel). I feel better about myself. In fact, I smile the whole way – round trip. It’s a great feeling. You get a workout, but never feel overwhelmed or exhausted.
All that – and – I am one less car on i680.
My bike is based on pedal-assist. I have to pedal for the electric motor to kick in. It caps out at 20mph. On the trail, I seldom exceed 15mph.
This is a worthy program. We need to get cars off the streets, highways and freeways.
E-bikes don’t really interest me. I think I’ll just continue to rough it and stick with my old school single speed fixed-gear bikes. However, I think its a good idea, for those who are interested in e-bikes. People complain about traffic congestion, complain about A-hole drivers, the list goes on….., and e-bikes at least attempt to offer a solution.
You can’t fall off a car.
Dogs can’t run up and bite your leg in a car.
You won’t get soaking wet when it rains, in a car.
You can drive through a swarm of bees in car.
You can turn on an air conditioner in a car
You won’t get sunburned in a car.
You can get into a minor collision & not die in a car.
You can pick up a passenger in a car.
You can road rage in a car.
You can flash your hi-beams at stupid people who are blinding you with their hi-beams in a car.
You can roll up your windows & close your vents in a car, when you see a dead skunk up ahead.
Or can you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jnbkPnsDzA
🙂
Looks like you’re a car person. I’m sure a bike person could list as many reasons to ride a bike. For example, I’ve never had road rage on a bike. And I’ve never had to flash my hi-beams at another bike rider. I’ve also never had a dog run up and bite my leg while riding a bike. I have passed long lines of cars stuck in a traffic jam. And I have worked off the stress of the day while riding my bike home from work.
Bugs don’t go splat on your face, in a car.
Birds can’t drop stuff* on you, in a car.
Geez Joat…. do you ever even ride a bike?
Try riding one over a storm drain grate & you can learn to fly!
They aren’t too difficult to steal either (I lost two as a youngster)…. plus almost all those other things happened to me way back when I rode bicycles. When I turned 16 I was in cars & trucks, no more bikes & I never looked back…. except in a rear view mirror that is.
I’m a twin pipe Papa !
I imagine I could find a whole list of new problems when I buy a flying car tho!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4jAJFp-tmw
In fact, the only advantage a bicycle has over a car is that stop signs magically disappear when you ride a bike!
Double edged sword: homeless are using these. The mentally ill ones are a dangerous and ruining family hikes on bike paths..😢
Newsom is looking into installing free charging stations at the homeless hotels to accommodate stolen bikes.
Seriously, since the BART trains are mostly empty, there should be lots of room for e-bike riders who want to travel longer distances. Can you get fingerprint security technology on these bikes?
I would be so impressed and confused to see a homeless man riding an Ebike.
These e bikes or bicycles in general are good for younger people, but when you start getting into your 60’s & 70’s you kind of lose interest in them pretty fast.
Also as with the electric cars, they would sell themselves if they were so popular and would not need to be subsidized to get people to buy them.
Not to be that guy but at 60 or 70 any kind of bike may be more danger than it is worth, period. Same with motorcycles, scooters, rollerskates, rollerblades, unicycles, pogo sticks, etc..
Of course if I were really frail and of advanced age myself I would suddenly be extremely interested in a 4wd Ebike wheelchair type thing so I could experience the world and get out there on trails again. Some youtuber made his wife such a chair and is attempting to make a business out of it, I hope it is a huge success.
I love the idea of using alternative energy sources. But … ” Batteries powering electric vehicles are forecast to make up 90% of the lithium-ion battery market by 2025. They are the main reason why electric vehicles can generate more carbon emissions over their lifecycle – from procurement of raw materials to manufacturing, use and recycling – than petrol or diesel cars. Three factors account for this.”
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/11/battery-batteries-electric-cars-carbon-sustainable-power-energy/
You guys should bring electric scooters to this county it will be very reliable for a lot of people.
William Shatner is super into Ebikes. Take from that what you will.