Nelson’s new E-bike Program keeps rolling along
By Contributor
In June 2020, Mayor and Council approved the rollout of an E-bike Program for residents to promote active transportation and community wellbeing and help reduce GHG emissions and assist with parking challenges in the downtown core.
The program provides low-interest financing for Nelson homeowners to purchase a commuter bike. The loan is re-paid monthly on the homeowner’s Nelson Hydro electric bill.
The maximum loan amount is $8,000 per household, which can support the purchase of multiple bikes. Participants choose an amortization period of two or five years, with an interest rate of 3.5%.
“This program is a way for City residents to take advantage of another great initiative offered by the City of Nelson’s EcoSave program,” says Mayor John Dooley.
“We are fortunate to own our hydro utility where we can offer on-bill financing to help reduce your energy consumption and lower carbon emissions in the community.”
Since the launch of the Community E-bike Program in July 2020, the City has received over 80 loan applications, and over half of the applicants have purchased bikes. Collectively, these new bike owners could save over 90,000 kilometers of vehicle use.
The City has created secure parking for bikes in the City Parkade, plus an additional 22 bike racks will be installed around the community in the coming months.
The City of Nelson led the way in active transportation by incorporating e-bikes into City operations and through a staff e-bike purchase program.
Many of our departments are using City-owned e-bikes to cut down on the use of gas-powered vehicles during their workday.
In addition, almost forty staff took part in the Employee Payroll Deduction E-Bike Program and purchased bikes for commuting to work.
To apply for the E-bike Program, please visit nelson.ca/ebike.
Photo Caption: City staff commuters show off their bikes purchased through the City Employee Payroll Deduction E-Bike Program. — Submitted photo
