With e-bike adoption outpacing electric cars in some cities, experts agree that cities must create infrastructure that supports the form of transport, as an even more environmentally friendly travel option than EVs. The transformative solution to traditional vehicles for short-distance travel can further reduce urban congestion, pollution, and public health challenges.
As a bonus, reforming infrastructure to work for e-bikes is cheaper for cities than producing car-reliant infrastructure.
"It really is a public benefit to get people from point A to point B without needing to park or drive a car," Kendra Ramsey, the executive director of California's Bicycle Coalition, told Grist.
Cities are responding with e-bike rebate programs designed to make the transition more accessible.
One Canadian initiative helped residents increase their weekly cycling by 25 miles while reducing car use by 11 miles. A report by Alex Bigazzi, a researcher in transportation engineering, found that the program cut travel-related pollution by 17% annually and increased physical activity by 13%. In Denver, an e-bike voucher program has eliminated 170,000 vehicle miles traveled each week.
Yet challenges remain. Infrastructure in many cities is still built for cars, leaving cyclists and e-bike riders exposed to safety risks.
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Greg Rybarczyk at the University of Michigan-Flint told Grist that city infrastructures must be refitted for more adoption.
Indeed, while e-bikes are growing in popularity, cities are still set on maintaining infrastructure that supports the use of cars. Detroit is one example of a place where e-bikes are picking up speed, but residents still believe the bike lanes are unsafe and not well-maintained, making it difficult to use the sustainable option for most travel, according to Grist.
Grist reports that cities are now facing a choice. Both rely on uplifting sustainability through e-bikes or EVs. They can either "invest in relatively cheap improvements to make cycling safer, thus encouraging people to cycle more, or double down on car infrastructure to accommodate EVs, thus encouraging people to drive more and endanger pedestrians and cyclists."
Experts believe e-bikes are not only a solution to cutting pollution from travel pollution, but also improving public health among residents. While both EVs and e-bikes are great options to reduce pollution, EVs still release their own form of pollution, like tires that produce more microplastics.
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"So the cost of cycling infrastructure — even high-quality, protected infrastructure — is really relatively cheap, in terms of providing mobility in cities," Bigazzi emphasized.
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