The City of Atlanta’s E-bike rebate program is a runaway – or should we say, rollaway? – success.
Consider that 8,888 people applied for an e-bike rebate by the June 23 deadline for the first round of awards. That’s more than 2% of the city’s entire adult population. Talk about shifting into a higher gear.
Anecdotally, Atlanta bike shop owners say they’ve been flooded with interest in the program. Some customers who heard about the program were even persuaded to buy an e-bike without even applying for a rebate.
The Atlanta Regional Commission, which is administering the program for the city, held a lottery to determine the first batch of 413 recipients, with 75% of the rebate dollars, or $375,000, reserved for low- and middle-income earners (“income eligible” in program parlance).
If you didn’t get a rebate this time around, you’ll have more chances later this year. More on that below.
The rebates are substantial. Income-eligible residents can receive a $1,500 rebate for a standard e-bike or $2,000 for a cargo e-bike. That’s enough to cover the full cost of many models. Bike shops are throwing in a free helmet to boot, and PropelATL is providing free bike safety lessons.
OK, let’s drill into the numbers to get a deeper look at the response to date:
A diverse group of applicants
Of the 8,888 people who applied, 44% said they were income qualified. That means they earn at or below 80% of the Atlanta region’s median household income. The income limit varies based on size of household, starting at $60,200 for an individual.
The income-qualified applicants were drawn from across the city. The map below shows the percent of applicants that were income qualified, by neighborhood. Neighborhoods on the city’s south and west sides had largest share of income-qualified applicants.
Propel ATL, a nonprofit that advocates for safer bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure, is conducting outreach to raise awareness of the e-bike rebate program, focusing on communities most in need.
Filling an urgent need
The e-bike rebate program was set up to provide cost-effective transportation to those who need it most.
According to the data, it’s hitting the mark.
About one in three income-qualified applicants said they do not have a car, compared to 7% of other applicants.
Meanwhile, nearly half – about 44% — of income-qualified applicants said they primarily want an e-bike to commute to work, compared to 30% of general applicants.
Also consider that about half of all trips are less than 4.5 miles, an ideal length for an e-bike. And the average metro Atlanta resident spends more than $11,000 a year on car expenses, such as fuel and maintenance. The annual cost of electricity to power an e-bike is less than $15.
What’s next?
The next application window is tentatively scheduled by the end of August, with the selection lottery in September. A third round is planned for this fall, likely in October.
Visit www.atlantaregional.org/ebikerebate to subscribe to receive updates on the next application window.
Photo courtesy of Edison Electric Bike Co.
What’s Next ATL, produced by the Atlanta Regional Commission, is a community resource that explores how metro Atlanta is growing and changing, and how the region is addressing its most pressing challenges.
