BIKE/BOARD

Atlanta Explores E-bike Subsidies

January 9, 2023

Atlanta is the latest city considering rebates for e-bikes as a way to boost sustainability and public health!

The Atlanta City Council is considering a proposal to offer rebates like those seen in Boston and Denver, with plans to implement a $1 million dollar starting program by Earth Day 2023. Income-qualifying residents could receive an even larger rebate to help them out with being able to afford their own e-bikes.

However, the city of Atlanta has struggled with improving its cycling infrastructure, with previous infrastructure packages falling behind schedule and going over budget. In 2015 and 2016, voters approved an infrastructure package for more than $500 million that included miles of bike lanes — including protected lanes — on some of the city’s busiest roads. But in 2019, city leaders acknowledged that they were falling behind. Some of those projects had to be scaled back, and most have yet to actually come to fruition.

The city is currently working on a $750 million infrastructure package that includes protected bike lanes.

Michael Smith, a spokesman for Mayor Andre Dickens, shared that the current administration “enthusiastically supports efforts to build a more multi-modal community,” saying that the city is investing heavily in pedestrian and bike infrastructure.

Rebecca Serna, executive director of Propel ATL, said that having safe infrastructure in place is key but that the city does appear to be starting the process of speeding up its bike-friendly projects.

“It’s just such a big backlog that we’re dealing with,” Serna said. “I think they’re doing some good work, but they need to be better resourced in order to deliver the hundreds of projects that have been promised and funded.”