The City of Boston is rolling out a point-of-sale e-bike rebate program to improve transportation options for residents. MassBike has been supporting the City of Boston with this initiative, sharing the lessons learned from our Worcester E-Bike Program and assisting at in-person e-bike test ride events.

The goals of Boston’s E-Bikes Incentive Program are to address historic inequities in transportation access, accelerate mode shift to sustainable modes of transportation, and improve mobility options for residents. The City plans to provide approximately 1,000 vouchers (over two selection cycles) ranging from $800 to $2,400 to help reduce the costs of purchasing an e-bike. Each recipient will also receive $150 toward the purchase of bicycle safety equipment.

Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the Boston E-Bikes Incentive Program, you must be a resident of the City of Boston, 18 years of age or older, and ONE of the following:

• Senior 60+

• Adult with a chronic or permanent disability

• Income-eligible adult, who is at or below 40% AMI

Application Timeline

General Application - August 12th-24th, 2024

The General Application is for Boston seniors, income-eligible residents, and adults with chronic or permanent disabilities who are looking to buy a standard e-bike or a cargo e-bike. In this application, the vouchers will be distributed via random selection (lottery). 

The first round of applications will be accepted from from 9 a.m. on August 12th  to 11:59 p.m. on August 24th. The lottery results will be announced on August 26th, 2024. The second round of applications will open in Spring 2025.

Rolling Application for Adaptive E-Bikes - August 5th-September 5th, 2024

The Rolling Application is for Boston adults with chronic or permanent disabilities who are looking to buy an adaptive e-bike or a powered handcycle wheelchair attachment. For this application, the vouchers will be distributed after a bike-fitting is completed. 

The first round of applications for adaptive e-bikes is now open through to 11:59 p.m. on September 5th. The second round of applications will open in Spring 2025.

After completing the rolling application, applicants will be required to submit supporting documentation to verify eligibility, and to attend a bike fitting session with experts to get an appropriately modified adaptive e-bike. 

In-Person Events

MassBike is helping the City of Boston with in-person e-bike test ride events. These events are to help people understand what type of e-bike might be the best fit for them and to share more information about the rebate program. 

• Thursday, Aug 15, 4 - 6:30 p.m. - Try an E-bike event at the City Hall Plaza

• Saturday, Aug 17, 1 - 4 p.m. - Try an E-bike event in Mattapan

• Sunday, Aug 18, 1 - 4 p.m. - Try an E-bike event in Roxbury, Roxbury Community College parking lot, 195 Cedar st, Roxbury, MA 02119 - Interpretation, translation, and disability accommodation services are available to you at no cost. If you need them, please contact [email protected] or 617-685-8099 by August 12, 2024.

• Friday, Aug 23, 4 - 6:30 p.m. - Try an E-bike event at the City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA, 02201 - Interpretation, translation, and disability accommodation services are available to you at no cost. If you need them, please contact [email protected] or 617-685-8099 by August 13, 2024.

Learn more on the Boston E-Bike Inective Program Website