KEY TAKEAWAYS: New Orleans residents can receive e-bike rebates of up to $1,200. A $3.8 million federal EPA grant will fund the program for four years. The first phase includes 100 rebates: 50 for $1,200 and 50 for $600. Applicants must complete online safety training, with selected participan ts also attending an in-person session.   The city of New Orleans has launched a federally funded e-bike rebate program that will provide residents with up to $1,200 toward an electric bicycle while requiring participants to complete safety training. The program is supported by a $3.8 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency secured by the city’s Office of Sustainability. The funding will cover the rebate program for four years, with rebates distributed in phases through a specialized portal and participating local bicycle retailers. The first phase will offer 100 rebates through a random selection process. Fifty income-qualified residents will be eligible for rebates of $1,200 each, while another 50 residents who do not meet the income qualification will be eligible for $600 rebates. Registration opened Sept. 28 at 9 a.m. Applicants must complete an online e-bike safety course before applying. Residents selected for a rebate will also be required to attend an in-person safety training session before receiving or redeeming the rebate. Applicants who are not selected during the initial round will remain eligible for future rebate drawings, which the city plans to conduct every six months through 2028. The initiative is intended to make electric bicycles more affordable while reducing transportation-related emissions and providing residents with alternatives to driving, according to the city. The New Orleans Department of Health Human Services is overseeing the program’s public health component, which will include education on e-bike operation, roadway and traffic conditions, visibility, helmet use and injury prevention. “An e-bike can provide someone with a way to get to work, get to school, run errands, or move around their community,” said Jeanie Donovan, director of public health and policy for the department. “But e-bike access and safety have to go hand in hand. We want residents who receive these rebates to understand not only how to use their e-bike, but how to use it safely.” City officials said partnering with local bicycle retailers is also intended to direct some of the federal investment to New Orleans businesses. “This program puts our climate goals to work in residents’ everyday lives,” said Meagan Williams, the city’s deputy chief administrative officer of sustainability and chief sustainability officer. “Making e-bikes more affordable gives our residents another way to get where they need to go, supports physical activity, and can reduce emissions when a bike trip replaces a car trip by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tailpipe pollution in our neighborhoods.” Williams said pairing the rebates with safety education is intended to give residents the skills to use the bicycles safely while supporting local retailers. ...read more read less