FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Beverly Lacy, blacy@bike.nyc

New York, NY, February 5, 2025 – Bike New York today released “Ride Clean New York” a detailed plan to launch NYC’s first ever consumer-focused program to make safe, legal ebikes more affordable to all New Yorkers. Supported by a Clean Mobility Program grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, this plan aims to subsidize more than 4,000 class-1 ebikes and expand education on safe charging and operation across the city.

“We believe that safe, legal ebikes have the power to transform transportation and recreation for New Yorkers across the five boroughs and beyond” said Ken Podziba, president and CEO of Bike New York. “The program we’ve developed is an unprecedented, turnkey solution for NYC to put ebike education first while significantly lowering the cost barrier to ownership for thousands of New Yorkers.” Supported by NYSERDA’s Clean Mobility Program Planning Grant, the goals of the Ride Clean NY Program are to 1) make safe, legal ebikes more affordable to everyday New Yorkers, 2) expand education about safe ebike charging and operation for consumers as well as elected leaders, 3) promote economic development through local bike shops, and 4) extend the benefits of active transportation to more New Yorkers. Specifically, this program will distribute approximately 4,000 vouchers ranging from $500 to $1,100 that will provide a point-of-sale discount for qualifying New Yorkers who wish to purchase a class-1 ebike.

The proposed Ride Clean NY Program mirrors and expands upon other successful Ebike incentive programs across the United States. Today there are more than 150 active or planned Ebike incentive programs at the state and local levels in North America offering purchase subsidies and/or rebates. This strategy has proven tremendously popular and effective in reducing the high cost of safe legal ebikes, a major barrier to broader adoption, and a key driver of the proliferation of cheaper models with non-UL certified batteries. Other Ride Clean program features include:

• Mandatory education requirements for all program participants
• Priority set asides for New Yorkers living in neighborhoods with lower transit density, and those living in public housing
• Pathways to accessible low-interest financing to further reduce costs
• Direct sourcing model for ebikes to ensure consistent pricing for specific models of class 1 ebikes.
• An incentivized post-purchase program for participants to provide data on their Ebike utilization.

Bike New York spent a year synthesizing best practices, engaging with New Yorker’s, and workshopping concepts with city agencies including NYCDOT and NYCEDC as well as Con Edison, and a number of elected leaders including borough presidents in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx. This process was essential to designing a program that meets the needs of consumers, and directly addresses specific safety concerns in New York’s unique context.

“We really did our homework and made sure this program is ready to roll,” said Dan Suraci, principal of Urban Cycling Solutions and author of the plan. “We vetted this program framework with DOT, ConEd, elected leaders, bike shops, and individual New Yorkers, all while building a robust team, and the essential partnerships to make it happen.” The Ride Clean Program also aims to combat public negativity regarding ebikes by focusing on consumer access to UL-certified, legal devices and promoting the positive impacts of ebikes for New Yorkers of all ages and abilities. With this completed plan, Bike New York is currently pursuing additional funding to launch this program.

“We are ready to put this plan into motion, and look forward to working with NYSERDA and the new Mamdani administration as we explore resources to implement this bold solution to Ebike safety in NYC,” said Podziba. The full “Ride Clean New York” report is available for download at https://www.bike.nyc/about/ride-clean-new-york/.
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About Bike New York Bike New York is 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free bike education programs to more than 30,000 New Yorkers each year. Through its education centers, community programs, and public events, Bike New York empowers New Yorkers to transform their lives and their communities through bicycling.