This spring, the City of Shoreline launched a $670,000 program to bring about 100 free e-bikes to residents, as part of an ongoing effort to reduce air pollution caused by transportation.
Pedal Forward Shoreline serves Shoreline residents who live in a designated area bounded by Northeast 165th Street to the north, Northeast 145th Street to the south, Fifth Avenue Northeast to the west and 25th Avenue Northeast to the east. E-bikes and warranties will be provided by Seattle Electric Bike. In addition to an e-bike, selected participants will receive a helmet, reflective vest and bike lock.
According to city officials, about $425,000 of the $670,000 allocated to the program will go toward purchasing the bikes. The remainder will support education, staffing and safety gear.
Anyone in the service area can apply for the program, but organizers said they planned to prioritize those with a household income of 80% or less of the King County median.
City officials recommended that recipients attend two bicycle safety classes, provided and managed by the Cascade Bicycle Club.
The first, an off-bike class open to all Shoreline residents, was held April 30.
The second, a mandatory on-bike class open only to program recipients, launched May 7, with additional sessions planned throughout the month.
Shoreline’s program is just the latest in a series of efforts by the city to reduce its carbon emissions as part of its Climate Action Plan. Adopted in 2022, the plan aims to reduce the city’s emissions 60% by 2030.
Transportation contributes 55% of Shoreline’s emissions, according to 2019 reports. City officials hope programming like Pedal Forward will help reduce emissions from driving and bring the city closer to its climate goals.
“We’re hoping that this encourages more folks to use different modes of transportation with their electric bike,” said the City of Shoreline’s Environmental Services program manager Paige Scheid. “We’re also hoping to create a more environmentally friendly, transit-oriented community.”
The program is funded by a $670,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology as part of a Climate Commitment Act initiative to improve air quality in what it refers to as “overburdened communities,” which it defines as areas where residents face disproportionate adverse environmental and health impacts from exposure to pollutants.
These communities include parts of North Seattle and Shoreline, located close to air pollution from I-5.
“This is public health at the end of the day,” Department of Ecology spokesperson Taylor Van Cise said. “If you’re in an overburdened community that’s highly impacted by air pollution, statistically you’re going to be facing issues that neighbors a mile away would have no issue with.”
The initiative also requires the department work to reduce “criteria air pollution,” which includes pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, lead, ozone, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide.
Tests near the area showed elevated levels of PM 2.5, a pollutant often caused by vehicle exhaust. Studies have linked these particles to numerous health conditions, including asthma and heart attacks.
“Depending on the time of year and the sources of pollution near you, near where you live and where you work, it's going to take years off your life,” Van Cise said.
Other programs sponsored by the initiative include another e-bike program in South King County, a bicycle repair trailer in East Wenatchee and replacements for diesel-powered parks equipment in Spokane.
E-bikes have been gaining popularity in recent years. According to research from the National Bicycle Dealers Association, e-bike sales in the U.S. reached $1.3 billion in 2022, a 33% increase from 2021.
Studies show e-bikes use 90% less energy and produce 86%-95% fewer emissions than private cars. But their cost poses a barrier to many.
“E-bikes are a high-demand item, and they’re high-cost too,” said Van Cise. “For folks living in an overburdened community highly impacted by air pollution, it’s not necessarily the kind of scenario where you’re going to find a household with an extra $2,000 to spend on something like an electric bike.”
Van Cise hopes that this program could change that.
“It takes that cost totally off the table,” he said. “Suddenly it’s that much easier to get on your e-bike and pick up your prescription or that small grocery order.”
Even with programs subsidizing the cost of e-bikes, prices are expected to continue rising under President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs.
“No matter what, prices are going to go up with the 10% tariff on every country. We get bikes from Germany, I get bikes from the Netherlands, I get bikes from Taiwan,” Seattle Electric Bike sales manager Ken Cisco said. “With China specifically, your more budget-oriented e-bikes are going to be the most impacted in the short term.”
President Trump’s baseline 10% tariff on all imported goods went into effect on April 5, with a much higher 145% tariff on almost all goods from China.
Buyers could start seeing prices rise by anywhere from $300 to $800 in as soon as one week, Cisco said.
“We as a shop are trying to make sure that the city is as unaffected as possible,” he said. “But if they do make purchases after a certain point, we’re not going to be able to absorb a 50% increase and keep the prices the same.”
Program organizers said they will be placing orders as soon as possible to avoid further increases. They hope to have the project completed by June 30.
In spite of these uncertainties, city officials remain optimistic about the program’s potential.
“We’re giving people the opportunity to live healthier lifestyles by getting out on their bikes,” Scheid said. “It’s a social benefit to the community. We’re hoping to see more people on their bikes in Shoreline, which may be a cascading effect in the future.”
Organizers expect e-bikes will be distributed in June.
