Flanked by advocates and bike shop owners, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin announced a proposal to create an e-bike rebate program for San Francisco on the Polk Steps at City Hall. The program would provide a rebate at the cash register for approved e-bikes and would be administered by the San Francisco Environment Department. 

“I want to ensure that all San Francisco families, especially those underserved by transit, can access this sustainable way to drop off their kids at school, which makes all our children safer,” said Peskin. “This is an important step toward an inclusive carbon-free future.”

Over 3,500 people wrote to the Supervisors asking for this program through an alert set up by Streets Forward. Executive Director Luke Bornheimer is asking people to continue to follow the action page for updates on how to get and/or stay involved in the campaign as the legislation moves through the Board of Supervisors.

“We’re excited to continue working with public officials to secure funding for the e-bike incentive program and looking forward to getting e-bike incentives in the hands of San Franciscans as soon as possible,” continued Bornheimer.

E-bike rebate programs have been tried in other cities, including Pasadena, Austin, and Denver. E-bikes usage has made bicycling accessible to people who are unable to ride regular bicycles due to age or physical limitations. So far, there’s not a magic-formula or best practice that ensures a program’s long-term survival and there’s been some variety in how programs are administered. In Santa Monica, for example, buyers have to pre-qualify for the program and take a voucher with them when buying a bike. Other programs have people apply for a rebate after the bike is already purchased.

And price is a major barrier for people looking to potentially purchase an E-Bike – even less-expensive ones cost over $1,000 after taxes and fees.

The announcement comes months after a smaller E-Bike rebate program run by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission closed after the popular program ran out of funds. That program saw the PUC partner with six bike shops to provide up to $1,000 in rebate to people that met a certain income requirement. The program didn’t even last a full month, it was active from March 23 to April 20, as demand for less expensive E-bikes overwhelmed the program.

“Our e-bike incentive program will help save San Franciscans money and break down barriers so more people can access e-bikes to improve San Francisco’s air quality and reduce congestion,” said Supervisor Dean Preston, who co-authored the legislation. “This program is a critical part of making our city more livable and equitable by supporting San Franciscans with the transition to an e-bike.”

The full details and funding for the program aren’t known yet, but yesterday’s event outlined goals for the program that include making sure the fund is used by those with the greatest need and allowing for people to donate to the rebate fund (to supplement the city coffers). The goals as outlined in a press statement are

• Accept funds from City appropriations, grants from local, state, and federal sources, and private donations. The program will also be eligible for funding from the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA)’s Transportation Demand Management program and the Equity Priority Transportation Program of the Prop L transportation sales tax.
• Use funds for point-of-sale rebates at local retailers for both standard and family/cargo e-bikes as well as adaptive mobility devices for people with disabilities. 
• Set a goal of 40% of funds going to low-income communities, communities underserved by transit, and communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution.
• Limit incentives only for fire-safe devices to help San Franciscans replace unsafe devices with safe ones, and advance San Francisco’s lithium-ion safety protections, developed by President Peskin earlier this year.

“The SF Bicycle Coalition is excited to see this program prioritize equity-priority communities. We know these communities bear the brunt of climate change and are incredibly underserved by bike infrastructure and public transportation. An e-bike incentive program would make safety-certified e-bikes more easily available to low-income folks who otherwise could not afford them. This fund is the first step towards dramatically transforming the way people get around in our city, and we look forward to working with the SF Department of Environment on the program,”  said Claire Amable, Director of Advocacy at the SF Bicycle Coalition.

The ordinance will have its first hearing later this month, at the Board of Supervisors Land Use and Transportation committee. Creating a program that is equitable and long-lasting can be a difficult task, California’s rebate program has been delayed for over two years. But for people who’s lives will be made easier if E-Bikes become more affordable the city’s willingness to move on their own program is a good step forward.