E-bikes are worth celebrating all year long, but particularly during the month of May – Bike Month! E-Bikes & micromobility are part of Massachusetts’ strategy to combat the pollution that accelerates climate change and hurts our environment. They are an accessible, affordable, and clean transportation mode for residents of Massachusetts who use them to get to school, work, or anywhere else they may need to go. With most trips averaging just 3 miles or less, e-bikes are a healthy, environmentally conscious way of making key transportation connections. This Bike Month, we’re celebrating the many riders across the state who are gaining more flexible, low-cost ways to travel, all while playing a part in reducing reliance on gas-powered transportation.
MassCEC’s First E-Bike Initiatives
Beginning in 2022, Mass Clean Energy Center ran a series of innovative e-bike adoption programs which sought to develop ways to increase affordability and access to e-bikes. Our first program iterations showed us that e-bikes provide health, social, and economic benefits. We also learned that they have a meaningful impact on reducing car trips and, therefore, harmful greenhouse gas emissions like CO₂ (carbon dioxide).
Creating the Statewide E-Bike Voucher Program
Seeing benefits like these, the Massachusetts State Legislature allocated funding from the State budget for a larger scale program. This led us to creating the Statewide E-Bike Voucher Program, which helped over 3,000 low- and moderate-income residents get e-bikes.
The program’s goal was to increase affordability and access to clean transportation among low- and moderate-income households while decreasing car trips and tailpipe emissions to help keep communities safe and clean. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive: estimates show that the statewide effort prevented CO₂ emissions equivalent to taking 500 gas cars off the road. On top of this, the additional cascading benefits to communities make e-bikes a worthwhile investment. E-bikes are not only a way for people to reduce their carbon footprint: but also a means for connecting communities and improving mental and physical wellbeing:
“This was the best purchase I could have made for my mental and physical health.” - Program Participant
How E-Bike Voucher Recipients Are Using Their E-Bikes
Statewide E-bike Voucher Program riders have ranged from age 18 – 70+ and come from all corners of Massachusetts. When program participants were surveyed, Mass Clean Energy learned that 40% of respondents were part of a no-car household (a rate that is 3x higher than the state average). Acquiring an e-bike meant that these individuals instantly had access to a mode of transportation that got them to medical appointments, errands, social engagements, or anywhere else they’d like to go. Some program participants have even added child seats to their e-bike, or a basket to hold groceries. One example of this is a mom in Northampton, MA, who uses her e-bike to bring her kids to school:
Program participants have also told us they are saving money by using their their e-bike, meaning less time and money spent at the gas pump:
E-bikes don’t just make transportation easier; they can also have an impact on riders’ quality of life. Many Statewide E-bike Voucher Program participants have told us that e-bikes have improved their health, with 76% of survey respondents reporting that riding an e-bike improved their physical health, and 69% reporting it improved their mental health. E-bikes as a mode of transportation contribute to increased physical activity and allow riders to get the benefits of being outdoors – all while getting them where they need to go:
“I have a heart condition but owning an e-bike allows me to get some exercise and allows easier access to my job and school which are all within just a few miles of my home.” - Program Participant
The e-bike vouchers were redeemed only at brick-and-mortar shops in MA—meaning every dollar spent through this program has benefited local economies in our cities and towns. With over 70 participating bike shops, all e-bike voucher recipients had access to a local bike shop to help them through the purchase process.
The Massachusetts Statewide E-bike Voucher Program also distributed vouchers for 17 adaptive e-bikes, which are e-bikes designed or modified to meet the physical needs or abilities of the operator, such as a recumbent e-bike or an e-handcycle. This means that individuals who may have been unable or find it challenging to ride a traditional e-bike are able to use an adaptive e-bike specific to their needs. One Worcester-based adaptive e-bike user who participated in the Voucher Program shared their story with us:
E-Biking Helps Our Neighbors and Communities
While there is still work to be done to increase affordability and access to clean transportation for Massachusetts residents, these e-bike initiatives have made big impacts in communities. Takeaways from Mass Clean Energy’s suite of programs point to real benefits experienced by e-bike users daily, and the more people ride, the greater these benefits can become. We’re thrilled to celebrate Bike Month and the success of these programs.
Learn more about MassCEC’s community-based and statewide e-bike programs. Get in touch with your local bike shop to participate in Bike Month programming and keep an eye out in your community for other biking enthusiasts who are celebrating this May. Keep in mind that our friends at MassBike maintain a comprehensive calendar of biking events all over the state!