Since April 2025, Washington residents have been able to apply online for an instant rebate to help them purchase certain cycling equipment and electric bicycles. Researchers have been investigating how the WSDOT E-bike Rebate Program can change people’s travel choices. This project is continuing evaluation of the e-bike rebate program. The researchers are analyzing how the e-bike rebates have affected travel behavior over a timeframe of greater than a year for different income groups. They are analyzing whether the early effects of the rebates have persisted, diminished, or strengthened over time. They are also looking at how purchased e-bikes have been used and how use has varied with baseline travel patterns, land use, and transportation infrastructure. In addition, the researchers are analyzing e-bike lending library programs launched in 2026. They are assessing whether cycling habits persist after participants return a borrowed e-bike or transition to permanent ownership, and they are evaluating whether e-bike lending libraries reduce vehicle travel. Finally, they are comparing the effects of lending library and rebate programs as a means of stimulating e-bike use.
Principle Investigator: Don MacKenzie, Civil and Environmental Engineering, UW
Sponsor: WSDOT
WSDOT Technical Monitor: Adele Peers
WSDOT Project Coordinator: David Strich
Scheduled completion: June 2027