Oakland receives $800k grant to boost e-bike program

"Oakland's transportation department expects the city administrator to accept and appropriate $800,000 in grant funds from CalStart, an environmental nonprofit, for the electric bike lending program launched in September. The funds will mostly be used to cover rising bicycle and insurance costs, and the costs of administering the program for four more years. That's according to a staff report that will be considered at an upcoming Dec. 9 meeting of the Public Works and Transportation Committee, where members will discuss a resolution that includes the grant. The item will then require approval by the full city council at a subsequent meeting."

"The city's e-bike lending program offers new e-bikes, helmets, and locks in a package to low-income Oaklanders over the age of 18 for $20 for four weeks, or for $120 for four weeks for other residents. Rentals can be picked up at the Bikehub location at the base of the Fruitvale BART station in East Oakland."

"The item before the city committee also seeks authorization for an extension of Oakland's contract with Bikehub, the local bike operator, to manage bike maintenance and rentals for $66,203 a year for four years. And it seeks a waiver of the requirement to bid out the contract to competitors. The report attached to the resolution, authored by Josh Rowan, director of Oakland's department of transportation, notes that the program is the first opportunity for low-income people in Oakland to have affordable, consistent access to e-bikes, which are much more expensive than most manual bikes. E-bikes rentals through the Bay Wheels Bike Share Program, run by Lyft, or the one run by the private company Veo, rent their bikes by the minute or through recurring monthly passes."

Oakland will accept and appropriate $800,000 in grant funds from CalStart to support an electric bike lending program launched in September. The grant will primarily cover rising bicycle and insurance costs and pay for program administration for four additional years. A Dec. 9 Public Works and Transportation Committee meeting will consider a resolution including the grant, with final approval to follow at a full city council meeting. The program provides new e-bikes, helmets, and locks to low-income Oaklanders over 18 for $20 for four weeks and $120 for four weeks for other residents, with pickups at Bikehub at Fruitvale BART. The committee item seeks a four-year Bikehub contract at $66,203 per year and a waiver of competitive bidding. The program increases affordable, consistent access to e-bikes for low-income residents and was first proposed in the city's 2018 bike plan.

Read at The Oaklandside