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.”
Through BEEP, Waterside Workshops distributed 56 e-bikes to income-qualified Berkeley households in Spring 2023 for their long-term use. Waterside youth interns helped assemble the e-bikes and performed quarterly maintenance checks and repairs, allowing them to gain hands-on experience in a rapidly expanding segment of the bike industry.
A recent analysis of the BEEP program revealed its powerful impact on our community:
- 134 Berkeley residents benefited
- 69% of participants saved money on transportation costs
- 77% of participants decreased their use of a car or motor vehicle
Media Coverage:
KCBS: Berkeley’s pilot research program leases e-bikes to low-income residents
KCBS: Berkeley pilot program offers free e-bikes to low-income residents
Berkeleyside: Low-income Berkeley residents can apply now for a free e-bike
