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City launches $50,000 ebike incentive pilot with Garage OTR financing
Summary
The committee heard that a new ebike incentive pilot backed by $50,000 in philanthropic funding will provide interest‑free installment financing through Garage OTR Bike Shop for an initial 20–25 participants; program leaders said financing could extend up to $3,000 and the model aims to become a revolving loan fund.
Council members heard a brief presentation on a newly launched ebike incentive pilot intended to lower the upfront cost of personal electric vehicles and expand micromobility options.
Josh Pine of the innovation team said the pilot launched the previous day and is seeded with $50,000 in philanthropic funding to support interest‑free installment payments through a partner, Garage OTR Bike Shop. Pine gave an example to show the math: "for an $1,800 ebike, participants would only have to spend $150 a month over a 12 month period," he said.
Program design and capacity: Pine said the pilot allows financing up to $3,000 and Metro expects roughly 20–25 participants in the first wave, depending on bike types and terms. The model is intended to create a revolving loan fund: as borrowers repay, funds are reused to onboard new participants.
Partner and outreach: Sean Jenkins, owner of Garage OTR Bike Shop, invited the public to an open house at the shop (corner of Vine Street and Central Parkway) on Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Metro staff said they are running outreach including local media appearances and targeted events in neighborhoods such as Evanston to encourage equitable uptake.
Council response and equity questions: Council members emphasized equitable distribution across Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods and asked about longer repayment terms; presenters said the pilot will initially limit terms to 12 months to collect first‑year data but could flex terms depending on results.
Next steps: Metro and partners will begin outreach, evaluate the first wave of participants and report back to the committee; no formal action or city funding commitment beyond the philanthropic seed was recorded at this meeting.
