Peter Rockmore, a sustainability analyst in the Office of Sustainability and the Environment, told the commission the city completed a low‑income e‑bike voucher program this summer that provided $2,000 vouchers usable at three participating local bike shops. Rockmore said staff issued 122 vouchers, generating more than $260,000 in local sales and that participant surveys showed 70% of respondents reported decreased car use. He added that e‑bikes and bicycles replaced roughly 30% of vehicle miles for trips under three miles.

Rockmore described the program’s recruitment and distribution: an April 2024 application opening, several rolling lotteries of about 20–30 winners, and the final voucher distributed in June. He said 93% of participants were renters, 67% reported very low incomes, and ages ranged from 19 to 83. The program included an NREL OpenPath trip‑tracking pilot of 15 participants; Rockmore cautioned the tracking sample was small but said it provided useful behavioral insight.

Staff told commissioners the program was funded initially by a federal grant from the Department of Energy through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant and supplemented by the Office of Sustainability and the Environment. Rockmore said staff are actively pursuing additional grant funding and using lessons from the voucher program to inform other direct‑service efforts, including a separate appliance efficiency outreach program.

Commissioners asked about the OpenPath study mechanics and data completeness. Rockmore said participants downloaded an app that ran in the background and that staff used incentives to obtain an over‑80% data collection rate during the one‑month tracking window. He emphasized the program’s primary goal was to reduce transport‑related barriers for low‑income residents and to encourage short‑trip mode shift.

The office said it will return with funding proposals if grant opportunities appear; no formal action was taken on the item at the meeting.