Note: New Information added about an E-Bile incentive for Income Qualified people in CA!
The Ecology Center has been working with the City of Berkeley’s Office of Energy and Sustainable Development on a Climate Equity project within Berkeley. Part of that project created a local Climate Ambassador program. One of those ambassadors, Adrian Gonzalez, did some work on gathering up information and resources regarding local sustainable mobility programs in the East Bay for income qualified community members. This is the information that Adrian gathered and what they had to say about the programs:
“I gathered the following information about the four programs I included in the poster. The italics text is mine, and the rest is copy-pasted from their respective websites. Hope you find it useful!
CLIPPER START program: https://www.clipperstartcard.com/s/
This one is pretty simple. You can apply online and they ask you to upload photos of your ID and proof of income qualification. If your application is accepted, you get a personalized Clipper card in the mail which gives automatically gives you 50% off all Bay Area transit. You can use it as any other Clipper card, which means you must have a certain balance to ride, you can set up auto-reload, replace if lost, etc. Their website states that the clipper card does not expire, but you do have to renew your eligibility every two years to continue to receive the discount.
Info from their website:
To qualify, you must:
- Be a resident of the SF Bay Area
- Be 19-64 years old
- Not have an RTC Clipper Card for people with disabilities
- Have a household income of 200% of the federal poverty level or less:
| Household size | Household income up to |
| 1 | $30,120 |
| 2 | $40,880 |
| 3 | $51,640 |
| 4 | $62,400 |
| 5 | $73,160 |
| 6 | $83,920 |
| 7 | $94,680 |
| 8 | $105,440 |
Bay Wheels Bikeshare for All: https://www.lyft.com/bikes/bay-wheels/bike-share-for-all
How to apply: You can apply online or in person at the Main Public Library in Berkeley. They’ll ask you to upload your proof of income qualification (for example, EBT card). If your application is approved, you pay $5 for a special subscription that lasts a whole year. This is easily done online but they do offer an option to pay in cash in person.
What you get” With this subscription, you get to use the Bay Wheels bikes at very low cost: for classic (non-electric) bikes you can make unlimited rides of up to 60 min for free, and for e-bikes you’ll be charged 5 cents per minute (capped at $1 max. payment). In both cases, there are no unlocking fees. There are hundreds of Bay Wheels docks in Berkeley and Oakland, and they’re usually very reachable from bus stops, which makes it very easy to combine a bus ride with a bikeshare to make a swift commute. Note: you must dock your bike to avoid paying a $2 extra fee. Extra note: don’t worry about automatic charges at the end of the first year: they’ll send you a reminder that the subscription is expiring, but they won’t automatically charge you once it does end. You’ll need to manually sign up for the $5/month program.
Info from their website:
Equity on two wheels
We’re working to expand access to bikeshare. It’s part of our ongoing effort to help create safer and healthier communities, pursue equality, and celebrate the diversity that makes the Bay Area so incredible.
Bay Wheels is proud to offer reduced-rate memberships to Bay Area residents who qualify for CalFresh, SFMTA Lifeline Pass, or PG&E CARE. The first year is $5, and then it’s $5/month after that. No annual commitment required.
Same benefits. Lower price.
Bikeshare for All members get unlimited 60-minute rides on classic bikes, reduced ebike rates—and a whole lot more. The easiest way to get going is through the Lyft app, but you can unlock bikes with a Clipper card as well. Flexible payment options
Flexible Payment Options
We want to make payment as easy as possible, and we’re committed to providing options for unbanked riders. Members can pay via credit card, debit card, prepaid card, and cash.
Benefits
● Unlimited free 60-min classic rides ($0.13/min after that)
● Free unlocks
● $0.05/min ebike rides (Max payment $1)
Requirements
● Members must be 18 or older
● Proof that your household qualifies for CalFresh, SFMTA Lifeline Pass, or PG&E CARE
Start an application online and we’ll walk you through submitting proof of eligibility. Then we’ll be in touch quickly to confirm approval.
Veo Access: https://www.veoride.com/veo-access/
How to apply: I signed up for this recently and it was very quick and easy to do. You’ll have to set up a free account and submit a photo of your proof of income qualification. They seem to be really quick to respond. After that, you’ll need to add an online payment method before you can ride. Their customer service is really efficient and can help if you have any trouble setting that up.
What you get: Their fleet in Berkeley offers standing or seated electric scooters which are usually found on sidewalks or at bike racks. The app shows you a map where you can find scooters near you. Both of these scooters are fully electric powered, which means you won’t be pedaling. The benefits for income-qualified users are very straightforward: you get one free ride per day (max. 30 min). After that free ride, any other same-day rise wil be 20 cents per minute. These scooters don’t need to be docked, so they seem great for harder to reach areas (for example, North Berkeley and Albany, where there aren’t many Bay Wheels docks)
Info from their website:
It is our mission to provide mobility services to all. That’s why we’ve created Veo Access, an affordable way to use Veo in your city through discounted rates. To qualify, you will need to demonstrate eligibility or participation in any local, state, or federal assistance program.
You will need to enter your name, phone number, email, photo ID, and proof of low-income status* (e.g. EBT card, discounted utility bill, or any other state or federally-run assistance program document).
Lime Access: https://www.li.me/why/community/lime-access
I haven’t used or applied for this program. Their rates are not clear in their website but their information for San Francisco states $0.50 to unlock and $0.24 per minute, with no subscription costs. (https://limesee.com/locations/san-francisco.html)
Info from their website:
Requirements:
To qualify, you simply need to state your reasons for eligibility, your name, email, birthdate, and phone number. Reasons for eligibility include SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Subsidized Housing, and more. Please see below for what qualifies you for Lime Access:
● SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
● Medicaid
● Reduced-rate utility bill (e.g. CARE in California)
● Free or reduced school lunch program (NSLP)
● Reduced transit fare program
● Social security supplemental income
● Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
● Federal Subsidized housing
● Pell Grant Recipient
New E-Bike Incentives will be available to income qualified folx in CA!
The first statewide application window will officially open on December 18, 2024 at 6pm PST The first window will be awarding up to 1500 vouchers ($3 million) and applications will be accepted on a first come first served basis.
For more information on eligibility and how to apply, check out ebikeincentives.org.
For the official press release from the California Air Resources Board, click HERE.
