Cashel and Hali Stewart, of Portland, got e-bikes through the city’s rebate program, Electrify Bikes!, to ease their commutes and reliance on cars. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Cashel Stewart spent years biking the 6 miles from his home in Deering Center to his office in South Portland on a standard pedal bike.

“It was a bit of a ride. I would do it but it was one of those things where I’d show up a bit disheveled or sweaty,” he said.

Then, Stewart, 29, heard about Portland’s Electrify Bikes! program.

It was 2023, the first year the program was in place, when he and his wife, Hali Stewart, 29, went to City Hall  to sign up. There was a line stretching down the corridor.

Under the program, the city pays for 60% of the cost of a standard electric bike and accessories, like a lock and helmet, up to $2,500.

“E-bikes tend to be a bit more money and I wanted something sturdy that would last me awhile, and something that I could add saddlebags to so I could stop at the grocery story and do other trips besides commuting,” said Stewart. “But 60% off sounded pretty damn good.”

A standard e-bike can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000.

The city helped 75 people purchase electric bikes during the first year and is getting ready for a new round of applications with some leftover funding.

The program used $200,000 from the city’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant, which the City Council set aside in 2023 along with money for the DIY Electrify program for weatherization supplies or small electric appliances.

Troy Moon, Portland’s sustainability coordinator, in February 2020. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald file

After the two programs wrapped up last year, there was some money left over still to help pay for about 35 more e-bikes, said Troy Moon, the city’s sustainability director.

There are income requirements: households must make 80% of the area median income or less. So for a one-person household that would be $68,500, and for a four person household, $97,800. Participants also must live in Portland.

The city has seen an uptick in pedestrian deaths in 2025. After calls from the public for better infrastructure, the City Council on Monday passed a Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries.

“In general, making transportation, walking, biking and transit more accessible and safer to people is a huge priority right now. It’s something that city staff and the City Council are really focused on right now. It definitely goes hand in hand,” said Moon.

“Electric bikes help reduce car traffic in the city, promote active transportation and using a bike for shorter distance travel,” he said.

INVOLVING COMMUNITY

In the two years he’s had his bike, Stewart has logged about 3,000 miles on it. He and his wife own one car and use their bikes for commuting to work and getting around town.

With the city’s help, he was able to purchase a $2,000 bike made by Aventon. He said he paid about $1,000 after taxes.

“It’s not just the financial impact, it’s also a healthy living impact. You are more compassionate to other people when you aren’t surrounded by metal. You see people and run into people. It really adds to your quality of life,” said Stewart.

Program participants have to purchase bikes from local, eligible retailers, including REI in Westbrook, L.L.Bean in Freeport and CycleMania in Portland.

Hali Stewart waits for her husband, Cashel, on Preble Street Wednesday. They both got e-bikes through the city’s rebate program. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

Moon said the city gives participants a certificate to present to those shops, who then invoice the city for the remaining 60%. The bikes come with chargers.

“Participants have to buy the bike at a local participating bike shop so it’s fully assembled, they have a place to get service and it’s supporting local shops, too,” said Moon.

Moon said that 200 people have already put their name on the list for the remaining money and the city will randomly select 35 people in the coming weeks. Once participants have been picked, they have 30 days to purchase their new e-bike.

A CHANGING CULTURE

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine is running another program to encourage more people to ride electric bikes.

The group has a fleet of about 10, which it brings to different spots around town for demos as requested by other organizations, said Dan Bassett, the coalition’s deputy director.

“The purpose is for decision-makers and the general public to experience e-bikes as a way of replacing a car for small journeys of 5 miles or less,” he said.

The group also partners with libraries around the state to lend two e-bikes out to patrons for up to a month. They also a run a program in Lewiston and Bangor where they supply electric bikes to people in recovery from drug addiction.

“We’ve seen a lot of people excited about realizing they can ride a bike, that it can be a safe and easy way to get around,” said Bassett.

Cashel and Hali Stewart say their e-bikes have made their commutes easier and they no longer need two cars. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald

The Maine Department of Transportation is funding the bicycle coalition’s three programs, which cost $200,000 to operate.

As electric bikes gain popularity in Portland, the city’s bike share program is alive and well, too. In partnership with Tandem Mobility, it has been running for about three years, with the bikes available seven months out of the year since 2023.

During the program’s pilot season in 2022, it had a total of 4,862 rides. In 2023, that number climbed to 11,392. And in 2024 it dropped a bit to 8,358 total rides, according to Bruce Hyman, the city’s transportation program manager.

Advocates say that improved bike infrastructure will be an important piece of growing bike culture in Portland.