PROGRAM UPDATE AS OF 1/02/2023: Applications are currently open to additional applications and residents will be approved on a rolling basis as vouchers become available. As capacity is reached, applicants will be placed on a waitlist with the opportunity to receive a voucher if they become available. Applications will be closed once we approached capacity for claimed vouchers.
The City of Bloomington’s 2023 Pilot E-bike Voucher Program provides point-of-purchase vouchers of up to $1,000 for Bloomington residents that can be used towards the purchase of an e-bike at local participating bike shops. In order to qualify for a voucher, residents must first register for Go Bloomington and Zero In Bloomington.
About the Platforms
Go Bloomington is the City’s platform for alternative mobility options to advance a more sustainable Bloomington by lowering the number of single occupancy vehicles in our community. Residents can find others in the community to carpool with, track alternative transportation commutes, and find optimal routes without using their cars with the platform. Register for Go Bloomington to learn more.
Zero In Bloomington is the City’s climate action platform that provides Bloomington residents with local, customized recommendations to reduce household carbon emissions. By creating a profile, the site suggests high impact emissions reductions actions based on household characteristics, including insights about energy usage compared to an average Bloomington household and tracks individual progress on the site dashboard. Register for Zero In Bloomington to learn more.
Program Goals
Bloomington’s e-bike voucher program helps support the City’s goal to reduce resident reliance on single occupancy vehicles in the community, as we strive to decrease on-road vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 8% of 2018 values (Climate Action Plan, Goal TL1). By shifting to using e-bikes rather than vehicles, residents can help reduce Bloomington’s greenhouse gas emissions from combustion and tailpipe emissions.
In addition to supporting the City’s transportation demand management and sustainability goals, the e-bike voucher program carries a number of resident-based co-benefits:
Improve quality of life
Increase transportation equity
Increase physical activity
Increase diversification of the cycling community
Decreased traffic congestion
Reduced number of vehicle accidents
Eligibility
Applicant Eligibility
Live inside Bloomington city limits (verify using bloomington.in.gov/mybloomington)
Registered for Zero In Bloomington
Registered for Go Bloomington
Eligible Uses
Voucher can only be used for the purchase of a Class I, II, or III e-bike or electric cargo bike at the following participating bike shops
Revolution Bike and Bean: 401 E 10th St, Bloomington, IN 47408
Bicycle Garage, Inc.: 507 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN 47408
Incentives
All eligible applicants qualify to receive a $500 voucher for e-bikes at qualifying bike shops. After applying and being approved, applicants will receive a voucher that can be used directly at point of purchase at participating bike shops.
Of the total allocated vouchers, 50% of the funding ($15,000) will be utilized to support vouchers for low income populations. This allows for 15 vouchers for low income populations, and 30 vouchers for the general population for the pilot year.
Residents who meet the low-income criteria (see below) qualify for higher vouchers worth $1,000. In order to demonstrate low-income eligibility, the City will rely on a combination of self-attestation and categorical eligibility, in order to eliminate the need for verifying and maintaining resident’s financial records. As such, applicants will be asked to provide the following at the time of applying if they wish to receive the increased voucher amount:
Self-Attestation Form: Applicants will need to read and sign a self-attestation form, indicating a good faith attestment that they fall within the low-income thresholds
Demonstration of Categorical Eligibility: Applicants are required to provide proof that they fall below the low-income threshold by providing one of the following forms of documentation:
Proof of Enrollment in BHA’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program
Proof of Enrollment in SNAP
Proof of Enrollment in LIHEAP
Proof of Enrollment in Bloomington’s Workforce Rental Housing Program
Low Income Criteria:
Have a household income of 80% of the local area median income or less.
Have a household income of 60% of the state median income or less.
Claiming Vouchers
Vouchers must be redeemed within 60 days of receiving them (date to be listed on the voucher), otherwise they will expire and may be reallocated to another applicant. Vouchers will be used at point of purchase, and recipients must show a drivers license or other form of identification to demonstrate that they are the approved recipient. Additionally, at time of voucher use, recipients and bike shops will sign a Voucher Sign-Off form as an indication that the voucher has been used. This will then be provided to the City as proof of purchase and voucher use, at which point the payment to shops will be processed through the existing open P.O.
E-Bike Voucher Program
PROGRAM UPDATE AS OF 1/02/2023: Applications are currently open to additional applications and residents will be approved on a rolling basis as vouchers become available. As capacity is reached, applicants will be placed on a waitlist with the opportunity to receive a voucher if they become available. Applications will be closed once we approached capacity for claimed vouchers.
The City of Bloomington’s 2023 Pilot E-bike Voucher Program provides point-of-purchase vouchers of up to $1,000 for Bloomington residents that can be used towards the purchase of an e-bike at local participating bike shops. In order to qualify for a voucher, residents must first register for Go Bloomington and Zero In Bloomington.
About the Platforms
Go Bloomington is the City’s platform for alternative mobility options to advance a more sustainable Bloomington by lowering the number of single occupancy vehicles in our community. Residents can find others in the community to carpool with, track alternative transportation commutes, and find optimal routes without using their cars with the platform. Register for Go Bloomington to learn more.
Zero In Bloomington is the City’s climate action platform that provides Bloomington residents with local, customized recommendations to reduce household carbon emissions. By creating a profile, the site suggests high impact emissions reductions actions based on household characteristics, including insights about energy usage compared to an average Bloomington household and tracks individual progress on the site dashboard. Register for Zero In Bloomington to learn more.
Program Goals
Bloomington’s e-bike voucher program helps support the City’s goal to reduce resident reliance on single occupancy vehicles in the community, as we strive to decrease on-road vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 8% of 2018 values (Climate Action Plan, Goal TL1). By shifting to using e-bikes rather than vehicles, residents can help reduce Bloomington’s greenhouse gas emissions from combustion and tailpipe emissions.
In addition to supporting the City’s transportation demand management and sustainability goals, the e-bike voucher program carries a number of resident-based co-benefits:
Improve quality of life
Increase transportation equity
Increase physical activity
Increase diversification of the cycling community
Decreased traffic congestion
Reduced number of vehicle accidents
Eligibility
Applicant Eligibility
Live inside Bloomington city limits (verify using bloomington.in.gov/mybloomington)
Registered for Zero In Bloomington
Registered for Go Bloomington
Eligible Uses
Voucher can only be used for the purchase of a Class I, II, or III e-bike or electric cargo bike at the following participating bike shops
Revolution Bike and Bean: 401 E 10th St, Bloomington, IN 47408
Bicycle Garage, Inc.: 507 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN 47408
Incentives
All eligible applicants qualify to receive a $500 voucher for e-bikes at qualifying bike shops. After applying and being approved, applicants will receive a voucher that can be used directly at point of purchase at participating bike shops.
Of the total allocated vouchers, 50% of the funding ($15,000) will be utilized to support vouchers for low income populations. This allows for 15 vouchers for low income populations, and 30 vouchers for the general population for the pilot year.
Residents who meet the low-income criteria (see below) qualify for higher vouchers worth $1,000. In order to demonstrate low-income eligibility, the City will rely on a combination of self-attestation and categorical eligibility, in order to eliminate the need for verifying and maintaining resident’s financial records. As such, applicants will be asked to provide the following at the time of applying if they wish to receive the increased voucher amount:
Self-Attestation Form: Applicants will need to read and sign a self-attestation form, indicating a good faith attestment that they fall within the low-income thresholds
Demonstration of Categorical Eligibility: Applicants are required to provide proof that they fall below the low-income threshold by providing one of the following forms of documentation:
Proof of Enrollment in BHA’s Rental Assistance Demonstration Program
Proof of Enrollment in SNAP
Proof of Enrollment in LIHEAP
Proof of Enrollment in Bloomington’s Workforce Rental Housing Program
Low Income Criteria:
Have a household income of 80% of the local area median income or less.
Have a household income of 60% of the state median income or less.
Claiming Vouchers
Vouchers must be redeemed within 60 days of receiving them (date to be listed on the voucher), otherwise they will expire and may be reallocated to another applicant. Vouchers will be used at point of purchase, and recipients must show a drivers license or other form of identification to demonstrate that they are the approved recipient. Additionally, at time of voucher use, recipients and bike shops will sign a Voucher Sign-Off form as an indication that the voucher has been used. This will then be provided to the City as proof of purchase and voucher use, at which point the payment to shops will be processed through the existing open P.O.