Oakland elected leaders and community organizations gathered at a bicycle shop next to BART’s Fruitvale station this week to announce the launch of the town’s new electric bike lending program, funded by a state transportation program.
Mayor Barbara Lee thanked the California Air Resources Board and community partners for helping to bring a low-emission and low-cost method of transportation to the city.
“These partnerships are so important, and the city just can’t do it alone,” said Lee at the Tuesday news conference. “We know that low-income residents oftentimes don’t have the resources to rent a bike and this is such an important development for it.”
The program is funded by a $1.8 million, five-year grant from the Clean Mobility Options voucher program within the California Air Resources Board. The program’s website states its goal is to increase access to clean transportation choices beyond personal automobiles, especially for low-income communities across the state.
With the funds, Oakland was able to purchase 50 e-bikes for around the cost of $2,000 each, alongside helmets and locks for residents to also use.
Electric bikes are comparatively cheaper to own and operate than cars, which according to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics can reach up to $9,000 a year for maintenance and other costs associated with ownership.
Residents who elect to participate in the lending program will pay $120 for a four-week period, but could pay as little as $20 if they meet certain low-income eligibility requirements.
Equity and climate goals drive program
The administrator of the Clean Mobility Options program, Brytanee Brown, said the procurement of e-bikes by the city of Oakland is exactly the type of project they look for when deciding on funding projects.
“We know that transportation shapes opportunity when communities have access to safe, reliable, affordable mobility,” said Brown. “They also have access to jobs, education, health care, and community programs like this play a critical role in lowering household transportation costs, improving air quality and removing access to areas for communities that have been historically marginalized.”
Oakland’s Department of Transportation assistant director Jamie Parks said the city is investing millions in bike and transportation projects.
“Our job is to make it safe, easy and fun to get around Oakland streets, however you choose to do so. A new bike path doesn’t do you a whole lot of good if you don’t have a bike to use on it.”
Jamie Parks, Oakland Department of Transportation
In July 2019, the City Council adopted the Let’s Bike Oakland! bicycle plan with the intention to make bicycling easier and safer for people across the city through actions like creating 202 miles of bike lanes.
“Our job is to make it safe, easy and fun to get around Oakland streets, however you choose to do so,” said Parks. “A new bike path doesn’t do you a whole lot of good if you don’t have a bike to use on it.”
Parks added that this new program is attempting to lower the cost of using an e-bike for more residents to use on a regular basis or test out to see if a bike meets their transportation needs.
Justin Hu-Nguyen, co-executive director of the advocacy group Bike East Bay, said he was not only excited for the implementation of a new mode of transportation for residents, but one that would be environmentally friendly.
“E-bikes are the secret weapon of sustainable transportation,” said Hu-Nguyen.
Electric bikes were found by Colorado State University’s Sustainability Research Laboratory to produce as little as 8 grams of carbon dioxide per mile, less than the 374 grams of carbon dioxide per mile produced by a standard car.
Residents are encouraged to fill out the application and survey to reserve their e-bike on a first come, first serve basis.
More information can be found on the city’s website.
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