E-bikes, scooters coming to Sacramento-area city. Borrow for free or get help buying your own

Electric bikes and scooters are soon coming to Elk Grove as part of a program that aims to reduce vehicle miles traveled, traffic congestion, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The city is launching two separate programs: its E-Bike Voucher Program and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.

According to a city staff report, participants can choose between a standard e-bike, folding e-bike, cargo e-bike or electric trike, with e-scooters and an adaptive bike anticipated to be available in the future for both programs.

The programs are being implemented to study the future of a lending library and bikeshare in Elk Grove. The city plans to collect data on the number of trips, routes taken and evaluate interest and usage of the devices, a city staff report said.

Elk Grove senior transportation planner Kaley Lyons said the programs will officially launch Sept. 3.

“BikeHaus, Cadence Bike Shop, and Pedego are approved to accept vouchers once the program launches in order to offer an automatic rebate on e-bikes being purchased through the voucher program,” Lyons said. “These three shops are also where we purchased the e-bikes and e-trikes for the lending library program. Scooters will be purchased in the future as none of the local bike shops sell scooters.”

The federal grant program helped establish the city’s e-bike voucher program through a $201,410 grant funded by the Department of Energy.

The city’s lending program is funded by a $250,000 grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments awarded to Elk Grove in September 2023.

“For the lending library, the City has purchased e-bikes and e-trikes that residents can check out for free for up to three weeks and then return to the City (checked out and returned to City Hall),” Lyons said. “For the voucher program, residents will receive a voucher code and can go to any of the three bike shops to purchase a new e-bike and receive an instant rebate or discount on their purchase.”

According to a city staff report, the program is modeled on other existing programs for places such as the City of Denver, the Monterey Bay Air Resources District and the California Air Resources Board’s forthcoming program.

The lending library program will allow Elk Grove residents age 18 and older to check out an e-bike or scooter for free for up to three weeks. The rider is required to sign a waiver and release of liability.

In order to confirm residency, riders must submit a photo of their driver’s license or current utility bill to verify their address is within Elk Grove.

City spokesperson Kristyn Laurence said the borrowing program will be active for at least a year as a “pilot project.”

“Based on feedback and data collected, we will determine next steps and if/how the lending library will continue,” she said.

The voucher program is expected to continue through March 31, 2026, or until all funds are expended. Laurence said the city anticipates that funds “will be expended well in advance of that date.”

Elk Grove’s e-bike voucher program

The city’s voucher program is designed to promote purchasing from local bike shops, according to the city’s staff report.

Local bike shops in Elk Grove entered a contract with the city that guarantees reimbursement for e-bikes, and voucher holders can go into any shop and provide their voucher during their purchase for a discount on the e-bike.

When an applicant purchases an e-bike from one of the approved bike shops in Elk Grove, a city staff report said, they will be provided with a digital voucher (or print voucher upon request) to take to the bike shop.

The voucher, once applied, will reduce the cost of the e-bike and the approved bike shops will invoice the city.

“The voucher amounts range from $500 to $1,000 depending on type of e-bike (standard or cargo) and income (low income residents receive a higher amount), so this is not intended to cover the entire cost of the e-bike, but is intended to increase access and incentivize residents who choose to purchase one,” Lyons said.

Elk Grove residents can apply for a voucher on a first come, first served basis, with an initial set aside of 50% of funds for low income households.

Adaptive e-bikes, which are designed to meet individual and specialized needs of their specific riders, will be made available for purchase at Elk Grove bike shops for voucher applicants who have a disability and are unable to use a standard e-bike. A separate process will be made if an adaptive e-bike is unavailable.

All e-bikes must be new and fit certain criteria, such as including integrated front and rear lights. A full list is available on the city’s website, elkgrovecity.org/ebikevoucher.

How to apply

Residents can apply for the programs in-person at Elk Grove City Hall or on the city’s website.

Once an applicant is approved and notified, they will have 30 days to purchase their e-bike.

According to a city staff report, if a voucher is not used within 30 days, the voucher number will be disqualified and the funds held for that voucher will be returned to the pool of funding available for vouchers.

A waiting list will be created in order of application submission time if the city receives an excess number of applications and does not have adequate funding available.

Are there restrictions?

There can only be one voucher claimed by each applicant and a maximum of two vouchers per household.

Any leftover funds remaining on the voucher following the purchase of an e-bike will not be converted to cash. Instead, it will be returned to the pool of available funds for future applicants.

The voucher can only be used to purchase an e-bike or scooter and not accessories such as a helmet or lock.

According to the city’s website, participants must retain the e-bike for at least one year and be willing to fill out a survey providing the city feedback approximately a year after purchase.