Lower income residents of Tigard will soon have access to free e-bikes thanks to a new program that comes online later this month.
Back in February we shared that the City of Tigard won a $105,000 grant from Portland General Electric to launch an e-bike lending library. Now the project has been fleshed out and officials will host a ribbon cutting ceremony next week.
The new program will be run by Westside Transportation Alliance (a private nonprofit transportation management association funded in part by Metro) is called Power to the Pedal and it will be available at two multi-family affordable housing locations in Tigard — the Red Rock Creek Commons and Greenburg Oaks Apartments.
Once they sign up, residents will get free access to the e-bikes via a smartphone app. Similar to how Portland’s Biketown system works, anyone who wants a bike will visit the e-bike “library” and check out a bike. The city plans to use data and the lessons gleaned from the program during a one-year pilot in hopes of expanding it citywide in the future.
“The City of Tigard’s vision is to be an equitable community that is walkable, healthy, and accessible for everyone and this program supports that vision by increasing access to shared electric micro-mobility options in underserved communities,” reads a statement on the city’s website.
Access to reliable transportation is vital to lower income earners and transit service is rarely good enough to depend on. Annual passes and other fares can also be an impediment to riding the bus or light rail. Cars are also expensive and cost-prohibitive to many people. E-bikes can whisk people around the city at 20 mph with little effort and give them the independence to go wherever they want without the need to find parking or wait in traffic. While Oregonians wait for e-bike rebates and other purchase incentives, creating free access to these vehicles removes a huge barrier to entry.
A Power to the Pedal launch event is set for September 20th. Stay tuned for more coverage once the program is up and running. Learn more at the program website.