Although low-income households produce relatively small amounts of greenhouse gases, they are harmed disproportionately by environmental pollution and climate disasters caused by global warming. The Berkeley E-Bike Equity Project (BEEP) seeks to increase e-bike access within the city, helping to provide mobility and climate resilience benefits to Berkeley residents.
The program is part of the City of Berkeley’s Pilot Climate Equity Fund, established in 2022 to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the impact of climate change on low-income residents. Additional funding for this project is provided by the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Community Partnership Fund.
“Micro-mobility and modal shift are key strategies to meet our climate action goals,” said Councilmember Terry Taplin, who represents District 2 in the City of Berkeley and serves as an Advisory Board Member for Waterside Workshops. “Climate justice means making meaningful and reparative investments in frontline communities. I could not be more excited for Waterside’s e-bike project.”
“We’re excited to partner with the City of Berkeley and GRID Alternatives to offer climate resilience benefits to our community members,” said Neil Larsen, former Executive Director of Waterside Workshops. “Expanding access to e-bikes will help make our city greener and improve the mobility of our neighbors who may have limited transportation options.”
As a key component of the project, Waterside is offering high-road workforce training to youth bike mechanics participating in paid job training internships. Interns helped assemble the e-bikes and are performing quarterly maintenance checks and repairs, allowing them to gain hands-on experience in a rapidly expanding segment of the bike industry.
“We look forward to working with Waterside Workshops to implement this forward-thinking project that combines providing clean mobility options and workforce development for residents and youth of the City of Berkeley,” said Arthur Bart-Williams, Executive Director of GRID Alternatives Bay Area.