The City of Bloomington started offering E-bike vouchers

Bloomington, Indiana – On November 9, the City of Bloomington declared that it would launch a new voucher program for citizens who want to buy e-bikes. All locals who buy E-bikes from Bloomington bike shops will be eligible for $500 coupons, and those with low incomes who can provide evidence of income will be eligible for $1,000 vouchers.

The voucher application period began at midnight on November 10 and ended on November 30.

E-bikes’ ease of use and versatility have contributed significantly to their explosive rise in popularity in recent years. They function just like regular bikes, but with the help of an internal battery-powered engine, they can go farther and require less effort than regular bikes.

In order to be eligible for the voucher, candidates must be residents of Bloomington, be enrolled in both the GoBloomington and Zero in Bloomington programs, and, following completion of the first application and eligibility verification, submit a W-9 form.

Applicants must have a household income of less than 80% of the local area median income or less, or 60% of the state median income, in order to be eligible for the $1,000 low-income voucher. For instance, a two-person household with an income of $48,850 or less would be classified as “low-income.”

Along with proving their enrollment in the Bloomington Housing Authority’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or Bloomington’s Workforce Rental Housing Program, these applicants must also sign a self-attestation form.

According to the press release, only 15 vouchers will be available for low-income people and 30 coupons for the general public during the program’s first year. Additionally, vouchers will only be accepted at Bicycle Garage, Inc. (507 E. Kirkwood Ave.) or Revolution Bike and Bean (401 E. 10th St.).

According to the press release, the program will encourage locals to enroll in GoBloomington and Zero in Bloomington, two initiatives that are a part of the city’s Transportation Demand Management Plan and Climate Action Plan and are designed to cut down on the number of single-occupancy vehicle trips in an effort to lower emissions, traffic congestion, and accidents.