Description
Subsidizing non-single occupancy vehicle modes can reduce the cost of alternative modes of transportation and encourage shifts to away from single occupancy vehicles.
Bike give-away programs provide free bicycles, helmets, locks, and lights to employees, residents, or community members to encourage cycling. These programs remove the upfront cost barrier to bicycle ownership and can typically be paired with basic safety education or maintenance workshops.
Implementation Details
- Identify target population and eligibility criteria for bike distribution.
- Source lead agency with administrative capabilities to manage and conduct consumer program.
- Provide basic bike safety and maintenance training at or alongside distribution events.
- Connect recipients with local bike infrastructure maps, route planning tools, and secure parking information.
Mitigation Potential
Providing bikes and bike supplies for free reduces the up-front cost of owning a bike. Lower costs improve the likelihood of users to switch from single occupancy vehicles to a non-motorized alterative.
Linked Strategies
Equity Considerations
Programs should prioritize distribution to lower-income communities, transit-dependent populations, and those with limited mobility options, as these groups face the greatest cost barriers to bike ownership.
Funding Sources
Funding sources include CMAQ grants, Surface Transportation Block Grants, state and regional TDM program funds, Safe Routes to School funding, employer commute program budgets, and developer mitigation funds.
Implemented in Marin County
Current TDM Implementation
MTC has piloted E-bike distribution on the I-580 corridor as part of the Richmond San Rafael Bridge forward project, and the Air District provides bike purchase funding through the clean cars for all programs to qualifying neighborhoods.
TDM Benefit Locations
This TDM measure could be administered in Marin by MCE Community Energy and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), which both have resources and goals that align with the distribution of bikes and e-bikes.