That’s why the City and County of Denver is giving out vouchers towards the purchase of an e-bike.

“We have a fairly car-dependent culture, so there’s a fairly high rate of single occupancy vehicle trips,” said Grace Troccolo Rink, executive director of the city’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency.

The program was launched last year on Earth Day.

Denver residents could get $400 for an e-bike, or $1200 if they have a lower income. And that amount is right around the price of an entry-level e-bike, which is more expensive than most regular bikes.

If they wanted an e-cargo bike, the kind really suited to replacing car trips, they got an additional $500. The vouchers were so popular, the city’s funding for all of 2022 was quickly allocated…

But the Denver program has the intended effect, according to preliminary survey results of voucher recipients.