Low-Income Residents Can Apply For Berkeley E-Bike Lottery

BERKELEY, CA — Low income residents in Berkeley are invited to apply for the city's electric bike lottery which will award 50 households with an e-bike for long-term use.

Residents can apply for the lottery before March 8, to get an electric bike for long-term use as part of the city-funded program, the city announced in a news release.

The 50 selected households – who can also qualify if they participate in SNAP, PG&E CARE, or Medicaid – would pay a $100 refundable deposit and get an electric bike, helmet, bicycle locks, lights, and training on safe riding, the city said.

Households selected will also receive free check-ups and maintenance for at least a year from Waterside Workshops, a nonprofit partner with GRID Alternatives and the city of Berkeley as part of the Berkeley E-Bike Equity Project, the city said.

Anyone in Berkeley can use electric bikes at a lower cost through eligible residents can apply online to enter the e-bike lottery.

To be eligible for the program, residents must be 18 years or older and earn less than 80% of the Area Median Income, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The size of the household affects the income limit.

U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development income guidelines by region can be found here.

Households can also qualify by participating in a range of public programs such as:

• PG&E California Alternate Rates for Energy Program (CARE)
• CalFresh Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP)

Find more income eligibility information on the Berkeley E-Bike Equity Project application.

Interested applicants can access computers at any of Berkeley’s public library branches. For application assistance, contact Waterside Workshops at (510) 644-2577, or visit in person at 84 Bolivar Drive Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

The Berkeley E-Bike Equity Project is funded by the city of Berkeley’s Climate Equity Pilot Fund, a pool of money authorized by the City Council to provide benefits to low income and historically marginalized communities, the people most impacted by climate change, the city said.

As part of the E-Bike Equity Project funding, Waterside Workshops is also developing a new e-bike curriculum for its youth bicycle mechanics education program.

The city’s Climate Equity Pilot also funds electrification upgrades in buildings and access to resilience measures for income-qualified residents.

E-bikes will be delivered from April through June to selected households.