D.C. leaders also approved a bill<\/a> in September 2023 to partially reimburse residents for buying an e-bike. The average cost of an electric vehicle is between $1,000 and $2,000, with higher-end models running upward of $10,000.<\/p>\n The chart above shows how much the District offers in vouchers to residents depending on whether applicants fall under social assistance programs and those who do not.<\/span><\/p>\n The bill also accounts for lower-income consumers who cannot immediately afford the expense. Customers can provide a discount voucher from the transportation department to bike shops, and the remaining funds are reimbursed to the storefronts.<\/p>\n Hecker, who expressed interest in owning an e-bike if he didn\u2019t already own a bike, said there\u2019s so many reasons why he\u2019d consider trading his method of transportation.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, they\u2019re fast,\u201d Hecker laughed when referring to e-bikes. \u201cA lot of them are really compact, too.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that even a scooter would be beneficial for activities like hitting the gym since it would be easier to park a smaller, foldable vehicle versus his traditional bike.<\/p>\n Despite the rise in popularity of electric bikes and scooters \u2013 mainly due to their economic impact in reducing emission outputs from a daily commute \u2013 Hecker acknowledges that riding electric vehicles, particularly e-scooters, can be dangerous for pedestrians and riders.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there’s probably something to be said about the fact that if you’re biking, maybe you have some experience,\u201d Hecker added. \u201cWhereas because scooters are just public, you can rent one, maybe there’s a little bit less than a base knowledge of how to move on a road.\u201d<\/p>\n Cox, the bike shop worker, said that the inherent danger from riding e-scooters can be the same for public bikes, electric or otherwise.<\/p>\n The D.C. area was an early adopter of bike-sharing programs. In August 2008, the District Department of Transportation launched its first program, SmartBike DC<\/a>, which had ten stations and 100 bikes available publicly.<\/p>\n![\"E-bike](\"https:\/\/thewash.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Graphic2_ebikes-300x120.jpg\")
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