SANTA CRUZ — Amid a rise in popularity of electric bicycles, a local transportation agency is gearing up for a new incentive program that aims to make the battered-based technology more affordable to those of modest means. Staff with the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, in partnership with Ecology Action, a local bicycle advocacy and education nonprofit, are hard at work putting together the Go Santa Cruz County Bicycle Incentives Program in hopes of launching it sometime this fall. Although the program, approved by the commission in June, is catered to e-bikes, it also provides point-of-sale vouchers for regular bicycles and the bicycle share program BCycle that has popped up in several jurisdictions across the county.
“I’m stoked about the new voucher program,” said 1st District Santa Cruz County Supervisor Manu Koenig who also holds a seat on the commission. Koenig explained that previous iterations of local incentive programs offered financial rebates after the bicycle purchase was made, but it proved to be not as helpful for community members looking to participate who also likely didn’t have much in savings. “That’s not a great, or very convenient, program for a low-income resident to take advantage of,” said Koenig.
Amy Naranjo, a transportation planner with the commission, said the two-year program is funded by $500,000 in state and regional grants, with $375,000 of that total going to the vouchers themselves and $125,000 for the c.