Denver Installs More Bike Lanes Following Electric Bike Rebates Program

Andi C., Tech Times 28 December 2022, 02:12 pm

Following Denver's e-bike rebates program, the city is working to install more bike lanes for its initiative.

Denver raised headlines earlier this year when it introduced a comprehensive program to assist city residents in switching from cars to electric bikes through a rebates program.

When Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced a proposal to add 125 miles of bike lanes in 2018, the city already had nearly 200 miles of bike lanes. With more than 300 miles of bike lanes spread out around the city, Denver is now getting close to fulfilling that commitment.

In light of the recent surge of electric bikes, the city is currently working to guarantee that it can provide enough cycling infrastructure, such as bike lanes.

Denver's Electric Bike Rebates Program

According to the Denver Post, the city's e-bike program featured point-of-sale refunds that were quickly applied for city residents, as opposed to mail-in rebates or e-bike tax credits, making it simpler for new riders to finance what are often expensive electric bikes.

Due to the program, the price of an electric bike was reduced by $1,200 for low-income city residents as an even greater incentive. The program's objective is to encourage the use of more of these electric bikes that can replace cars on Denver's streets in order to lessen traffic and the use of emissions-producing vehicles.

Fast Company reported that the e-bike rebates had been well received by thousands of citizens enough that the city wants to extend its original distribution schedule. According to an app used by some users, the majority now bike at least once each week.

With the help of the program, about 5,000 electric bicycles have been bought, with about half of them going to low-income users. It has received high recognition for being an effective model for raising the pace of adoption of low-impact substitute vehicles.

Denver To Install More Electric Bike Lanes After Successful Program

However, due to the influx of e-bike users, the program has also brought attention to a different problem with personal EVs, such as e-bikes and e-scooters, as they need infrastructural improvements to make users feel secure when using them.

By creating a safer environment away from the heavy machinery often used by car drivers, bike lanes assist in promoting the use of bikes, scooters, skateboards, and other light vehicles by commuters.

Thus, as a solution to the problem, Electrek reports that millions of dollars were invested in Denver's e-bike rebate program, which successfully got thousands of new e-bikes on the road. The city is currently attempting to construct enough bike lanes to give those riders a sense of security and protection as they use their new wheels.

Most of the existing bicycle infrastructure falls under the category of "unprotected" bike lanes, typically only painted lines designating the bicycle shoulder of the road. The installation of physical barriers, such as poles and other devices, to separate cyclists from the main traffic lanes of key roads and create protected bike lanes has resulted in several dozen miles of the city's bike lanes.