TO: ADAM PIRRIE, CITY MANAGER
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: JANUARY 27, 2026
Reviewed by:
City Manager: AP
SUBJECT:
Title
REQUEST FOR DIRECTION ON THE GOSGV E-BIKE SUBSIDY PROGRAM (FUNDING SOURCE: AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUND)
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SUMMARY
In March 2022, the City surveyed community members and businesses regarding ARPA funding priorities. In May 2022, the City Council approved ARPA funding options, including $100,000 for e-bike incentive programs. In July 2023, the City Council approved two ARPA-funded e-bike programs, including an E-Bike Rebate Program and a monthly subsidy through the GoSGV e-bike share program managed by ActiveSGV.
ActiveSGV launched the GoSGV program in September 2022. The program offers affordable monthly e-bike rental memberships for San Gabriel Valley residents. Prior to January 2025, Claremont residents who received the City’s e-bike subsidy had no cost for renting the bike. In November 2024, the City Council provided direction to reduce the subsidy by providing $25 per month, with participants responsible for the remaining $25 per month. The City Council also directed ActiveSGV to require participants to submit a quarterly survey that includes odometer readings and a question regarding the use of e-bikes to connect to public transit. City Council direction included funding for two years, with re-evaluation of the program after one year.
Staff and ActiveSGV have implemented the City Council’s direction and compiled the quarterly survey results for the City Council’s review.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council provide direction to staff as to whether to continue the GoSGV subsidy program until the end of calendar year 2026.
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Request additional information from staff.
B. Do not continue funding the GoSGV subsidy program and allocate the remaining funds to other ARPA-funded programs.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The City of Claremont received a total allocation of $8.7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. The City Council originally approved $100,000 for the e-bike incentive program, including an E-Bike Rebate Program and GoSGV Program subsidy, and authorized staff to allocate the funds depending on the demands of each program. The July 2024 budget amendment increased funding for the e-bike incentive program to $141,250. In November 2024, the City Council increased funding by $90,000, or $45,000 per year, for a total of $231,250.
The staff cost to prepare this report is estimated at $900 and is included in the operating budget of the Community Development Department.
ANALYSIS
Program Background and Cost Share
In July 2023, the City Council approved $100,000 in ARPA funding for the E-Bike Rebate Program and the GoSGV e-bike subsidy program, with staff authorized to allocate funding between the two programs based on demand. Staff initially allocated $40,000 for e-bike rebates (up to forty $1,000 rebates) and $60,000 for GoSGV subsidies. In July 2024, the City Council increased the overall e-bike incentive program budget to $141,250 through a budget amendment. In November 2024, the City Council increased the program budget by an additional $90,000, or $45,000 per year, to continue the GoSGV subsidy program for two years, bringing total program funding to $231,250.
ActiveSGV launched the GoSGV program in September 2022 to provide monthly e-bike rental memberships for San Gabriel Valley residents. The standard monthly rate is $69 for a commuter e-bike and $149 for a cargo e-bike. Prior to January 2025, the City subsidy fully covered the commuter membership cost for Claremont participants, and the program reached full utilization at 150 participants. Following the implementation of the $25 cost share in January 2025, participation decreased as expected due to the new out-of-pocket fee. Over the past year, the program averaged approximately seventy-eight participating Claremont residents.
Quarterly Survey Findings
Staff and ActiveSGV conducted quarterly surveys aligned with standard calendar quarters to assess program usage and outcomes. Satisfaction levels remained consistently high across all reporting periods, averaging about eight and a half out of ten. Reported riding frequency shows that most respondents continue to use their e-bike at least weekly. In Quarter One, 17 percent of respondents reported daily use, 39 percent reported weekly use, and 45 percent reported occasional use. In Quarter Two, 25 percent reported daily use, 46 percent reported weekly use, and 29 percent reported occasional use. In Quarter Three, 26 percent reported daily use, 42 percent reported weekly use, and 32 percent reported occasional use. Across all three quarters, respondents most commonly reported using the e-bike for recreation and errands, with a meaningful share also using the e-bike to travel to work or school.
The quarterly surveys also indicate a measurable shift toward using e-bikes instead of cars for short trips. In Quarter One, 31 percent of respondents reported “often” or “always” replacing short car trips with e-bike trips; this increased to 40 percent in Quarter Two and was 36 percent in Quarter Three. Reported cost savings were consistent across the three quarters, with 55 percent citing savings in Quarter One, 52 percent in Quarter Two, and 52 percent in Quarter Three. Responses also indicate sensitivity to subsidy levels. In each quarter, between six to nine percent of respondents indicated they would continue their membership if the City subsidy ended, while most respondents selected “no” (about 40 percent) or “not sure” (about 50 percent).
Odometer Readings
The quarterly surveys collected participant-reported odometer readings to support a more objective measure of usage. Because participants report a cumulative total, staff estimated quarter-specific miles traveled for repeat respondents by calculating the difference in odometer readings between consecutive quarters. For respondents with usable odometer pairs, usage varied substantially, with a smaller number of participants accounting for a large share of miles traveled.
For the Quarter Two period (April 1, 2025 through June 30, 2025), the median estimated usage among repeat respondents with usable data was approximately fifty-seven miles for the quarter. For the Quarter Three period (July 1, 2025 through September 30, 2025), the median estimated usage among repeat respondents with usable data was approximately thirty-seven miles for the quarter. A limited number of participants reported substantially higher quarter mileage (hundreds of miles in a quarter), which increased the averages and indicates that some participants rely on the e-bike as a more frequent transportation mode.
Public Transit Connectivity
The City Council also directed that the quarterly survey include information regarding the use of e-bikes to connect to public transit. Across the three quarters, a relatively small share of respondents reported using their e-bike to connect to transit “yes, occasionally” (14 percent in Quarter One, 10 percent in Quarter Two, and 7 percent in Quarter Three). A larger share reported they would be interested in doing so (35 percent in Quarter One, 48 percent in Quarter Two, and 45 percent in Quarter Three). Respondents also reported whether they currently have a TAP card (37 percent in Quarter One, 35 percent in Quarter Two, and 48 percent in Quarter Three).
Among respondents who identified specific transit services, Metrolink was the most commonly selected option, with some also selecting Foothill Transit and occasional “other” responses, such as LA Metro. These results suggest that transit connectivity is currently a secondary use case for most participants, but there is consistent interest that could be supported through outreach, trip-planning guidance, and coordination focused on first- and last-mile access points.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
Staff has evaluated the agenda item in relationship to the City’s strategic and visioning documents and finds that it applies to the following City Planning Documents: Council Priorities, Sustainable City Plan, and 2024-26 Budget.
CEQA REVIEW
This item is not subject to environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact the City Clerk’s Office.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Brad Johnson Alex Cousins
Community Development Director Senior Management Analyst