Comment Log Display

Chairwoman Mary Nichols
California Air Resources Board
1001 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: Bicycle Incentive Program Concept

Dear Chair Nichols, Board Members, and Staff:

On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we applaud the efforts
of the Air Resources Board to improve air quality and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector through Low
Carbon Transportation Fund investments.  In particular, we support
the diverse investments in disadvantaged community Light-Duty
Vehicle Pilot Projects that provide opportunities for low-income
residents to either afford an electric vehicle or to access clean
mobility options without the burden of owning a personal
automobile.  We recommend you consider also investing in incentives
for a zero-emission vehicle that is not currently included in the
program—the bicycle.

We propose creating a $10 million Bicycle Incentive Pilot Program
within the Light-Duty Vehicle Pilot Projects subset of the Low
Carbon Transportation Fund to fund rebates for the purchase of
high-quality bicycles. The program would incentivize the purchase
and use of electric bicycles, cargo bicycles, folding bicycles, and
other high-quality utilitarian bicycles to replace vehicle trips.
In addition, the program would further replace vehicle trips by
subsidizing bike repair, replacement of essential bike parts, and
community bike repair workshops through grants to local bike shops
and community bike repair “kitchens”. At least 75 percent of the
funding should be expended to provide direct mobility benefits to
low-income residents in disadvantaged communities. The following
expenditures should be eligible for incentives under the program: 

●	Vouchers or rebates for individuals and families, with at
least 75 percent set aside for households whose income is 80
percent or less of the area median income, and at least 25 percent
set aside for households whose income is below 50 percent of area
median income.
●	Expansion or establishment of bike fleets for housing
authorities, public agencies, or corporations, especially those
located in disadvantaged communities, limited to 100 bicycles. 
●	Bike share programs located in disadvantaged communities,
limited to 100 bicycles, including free bike share memberships to
low-income individuals. 
●	Grants to local bike shops and bike kitchens in
disadvantaged communities to provide essential bike parts, repair,
and workshops to low-income community residents. 

Incentives for bicycle purchases at 50% of the price of the bicycle
up to a maximum voucher of $500, or $1000 for an electric bicycle,
are appropriate. ARB should also consider including the cost of
legally-required lights, locks, helmets, and cycling classes as
reimbursable expenses under the program. Participants will be
required to complete a survey at the time of purchase and after six
months to evaluate the effectiveness of the voucher in prompting
the initial purchase and the level and nature of use of the new
bicycle for trips of all purposes and lengths.

Demand for utilitarian bicycling to replace vehicle trips is
exploding and the bicycle industry has responded with a wide
variety of electric bicycles, cargo bicycles, folding bicycles, and
other commuter-style bicycles. However, many of these types of
bicycles typically cost $1,000 or more, creating a cost barrier for
low-income consumers and for families considering the cost of
multiple bicycles. Providing subsidies for bicycle purchases would
increase the affordability of these high-quality, zero-emission
vehicles and stimulate the market for bicycles, especially for
emerging technologies in electric-assist bicycles and cargo
bicycles, continuing to drive down prices.

Our proposal also allows people who bicycle to overcome the
technical and cost barriers to owning and operating bikes, which
are often identified especially by low-income individuals . We
propose that existing bicycle owners and new bicycle owners who
receive a voucher through this program have the option to repair
their own bicycles at local bike shops and community bike
“kitchens” through grants to establish or expand the activities of
such facilities in disadvantaged communities. Eligible expenses for
these grants could include essential bike parts such as tires and
lights, bike repair, and workshops for individuals to learn to
maintain their own bikes. This “fix it first” approach allows
low-income residents and households to repair bikes they own now to
be operable and safe, and allows those who purchase new bikes
through the proposed bike incentive program to maintain their bikes
over the long term.

In many underserved communities across the state, safe bikeway
infrastructure is lacking, despite the high rate of people
bicycling in these communities. We recommend that jurisdictions
which apply to the program for bike share program subsidies be
required to demonstrate a commitment to prioritizing bikeway
infrastructure improvements in the disadvantaged communities where
the new bike share stations will be located. The prioritization
could be demonstrated with a project list in the jurisdiction’s
adopted bike plan that shows projects adjacent to the new bike
share stations at the top of the list. In jurisdictions that lack
an adopted bike plan, other documentation, such as an application
for Active Transportation Program funding, could meet the
requirement.

Our proposal leverages the existing successful “Increased
Incentives for Public Fleets Project” which encourages public
agencies to turn over their automobile fleets to electric vehicles
by encouraging agencies to replace many of those vehicles with
high-quality utilitarian bicycles, getting greater value for each
dollar invested in greenhouse gas reduction. 

Our proposal also strengthens the existing Car Sharing and Mobility
Options Pilot Project that supports subsidized transit passes,
bike- and car-sharing memberships for low-income residents.
Research demonstrates that low-income communities of color have the
highest rates of bicycling, and “the fastest growth in bicycling is
among the Hispanic, African American and Asian American
populations.”  Increasing access to bicycles, especially in
disadvantaged communities, has the potential to spur greater mode
shift. 

Promoting bicycling is a critical strategy for meeting our state
climate goals and it has more “co-benefits” than almost any other
strategy; it provides affordable transportation options, improves
public health, increases traffic safety, and advances the economic
prosperity of our communities. Bicycle travel doubled in California
between 2000 and 2012 and the Caltrans Strategic Management Plan
aims to triple bicycling by 2020. 

We request that you consider funding a $10 million Bicycle
Incentive Program as a Light-Duty Vehicle Pilot Project within the
Low Carbon Transportation Fund in the 2016-17 fiscal year to
improve access to the most affordable and cleanest vehicle for
individuals, agencies, and families across California. Please
contact Jeanie Ward-Waller, Policy Director with the California
Bicycle Coalition (Jeanie@calbike.org) with any questions.

Sincerely,

Jeanie Ward-Waller, Policy Director
California Bicycle Coalition

Janine Rood, Executive Director
Chico Velo

Chuck Mills, Director of Public Policy and Grants
California ReLeaf

Dan Rivoire, Executive Director
Bike SLO County

Tyrone Buckley, Legislative & Policy Advocate
Housing California

Ryan Wiggins, Climate Policy Manager
TransForm

Bill Sadler, Senior California Policy Manager
Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Eric Bruins, Planning & Policy Director
Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition

James Pappas, Manager of Housing Preservation & Policy Research
California Housing Partnership

Denny Zane, Executive Director
Move LA

Rico Mastrodonato, Senior Government Relations Manager
Trust for Public Land

Edward France, Executive Director
Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition

Marven E. Norman, Policy Director
Inland Empire Biking Alliance

Alisha Oloughlin, Policy & Planning Director
Marin County Bicycle Coalition

Melissa Balmer, Director
Pedal Love/Women on Bikes California

Emma Shlaes, Policy Manager
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

Andy Hanshaw, Executive Director
San Diego County Bicycle Coalition	

Kula Koenig, Government Relations Director
American Heart Association | American Stroke Association

Matt Read, Esq., Director, Statewide Government Relations
Breathe California

Stephanie Stephens, Executive Director
California Park and Recreation Society

Laura R. Cohen, J.D., Director
Western Region Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Sigrid Wright, Executive Director and CEO 
Community Environmental Council

Richard Marcantonio, Managing Attorney
Public Advocates Inc.

Industry support from the following corporations:
	
Accell North America, Kent, WA
Big Cat Electric Bicycles, Holbrook, NY
BionX International, Aurora, ON
BMC Switzerland, San Diego, CA
Bosch eBikeSystems, Irvine, CA
Currie Technologies, Simi Valley, CA
Cycling Sports Group, Wilton, CT
EG Bike, Canton, MA
Evelo Electric Bicycles, Cambridge, MA
Felt Bicycles, Irvine CA
Faraday Bicycles, San Francisco, CA
Giant Bicycle, Newbury Park, CA
Haibike, Simi Valley, CA
Hawley, Lexington, SC
J & B Importers, Miami, FL
Kuberg, Camino, CA
Ohm Cycles, Abbotsford, BC
Procycle Group, North Vancouver, BC
Pure Fix Cycles, Burbank, CA
Revolve Electric Bikes, Elmsford, NY
Santa Monica Electric Vehicles, Las Vegas, NV
Shimano, Irvine, CA
Specialized Bicycle Components, Morgan Hill, CA
SRAM Corporation, Chicago, IL
Tern Bicycles North America, Lakewood, CA
Trek Bicycle Corporation, Waterloo, WI
Xtracycle, Oakland, CA
Yuba Bicycles, Petaluma, CA