DURANGO, Colo. — For the first time, the City of Durango is offering an e-bike rebate program to its residents and students.
The city said this program has two goals: first, to encourage the use of e-bikes as an alternate transportation option to driving, and second, to provide a low-cost option.
This program is open to all Durango residents, students and people who work in the city.
Applications will stay open from April 17 until May 12 at 5 p.m. Once they are filled out, the person can receive a voucher, which they can use to purchase the e-bike and then get a rebate. Click here to apply for the program. Or, you can pick up a paper application at the Durango Public Library, located at 1900 E. Third Ave., or City Hall at 949 E. Second Ave.
Applications are not first come, first served.
The city says anybody interested in this should not buy the bike before submitting the application, as the rebate can not be applied to bikes purchased ahead of time. After the window for the program closes, applicants will be alerted if they received a rebate voucher and further instructions on purchasing a bike.
Once you have the voucher, it can be used for $300 from a participating local bike shop. There is a $150 post-purchase reimbursement rebate if it is purchased from anywhere else. Income-qualified applicants' rebates range from $500 to $1,500 depending on their income level.
Click here for more details and rules on the program.
The city allows e-bikes on the Animas River Trail, Goeglein Gulch Trail and other sidewalks and roadways. Pedal-assist bikes are not allowed in the city's open spaces.
While Durango is a relatively small city in Colorado, it has a booming biking community.
It offers more than 2,000 miles of bike trails and hundreds of miles of road for bicyclists to explore.
According to the city, some of the most popular road biking routes in Durango include the 20-mile Trimble Loop, 26-mile Elmore's Loop and 35-mile Wildcat Canyon Loop. In addition, it has a plethora of mountain biking trails.
