Californians still hoping to get a state voucher to pay for an electric bike this holiday were greeted with seven unwanted words: “We are no longer accepting incentive applications. “
That’s the message the California Air Resources Board posted Friday on its e-bike incentive assignment webpage after citizens flooded the firm with applications, leaving some disappointed and with the process.
The program began accepting online programs Wednesday at 6 p. m. Within forty-five minutes, the application window closed after approximately 100,000 programs were submitted, according to the Air Resources Board.
Some applicants complained they were unable to log on mere minutes after that window opened. Some posted screenshots on social media of estimated wait times exceeding an hour.
Others said the application procedure froze or produced error messages.
Lys Mendez, the board’s communications director, said a full team dealt with the application process, which included testing and verification for technical issues.
He said problems may have arisen if other people had multiple devices under a single IP address, didn’t refresh the online page properly, or if their browsers were outdated.
“We were also staffing a helpline, and people who followed our advice on the above after speaking with the representative reported being able to get into the queue,” Mendez said.
The Air Resources Board says more application windows will be announced in the coming days.
Mendez said the board will apply the lessons learned in this release to long-term application opportunities.
“The first release cycle demonstrates a call for a transportation choice bureaucracy and a preference for using cleaner mobility options,” Méndez said.
In announcing the program, the Office of Air Resources said vouchers would be given to provide up to $2,000 toward the purchase of an electric bike, a bike that includes an electric motor on board for easier pedaling.
The board had said in the past that the program would start with $3 million, with the goal of offering vouchers for the purchase of 1,500 electric bicycles.
The goal is to lower the cost barrier for residents, hopefully reducing car trips and, ultimately, greenhouse gas emissions.
E-bikes vary in price. On average, they’re about $2,000, though some models can cost upward of $6,000, according to outdoor recreational retailer REI. Consumers should avoid extremely low-priced electric bikes, which can be lower quality, according to Consumer Reports.
“By using e-bikes, other people can get around and satisfy their daily needs while getting better air quality,” Steven Cliff, executive director of the Air Resources Council, said in early December. “Prioritizing equity and access is critical as we work to achieve our zero emissions goals, and this incentive program will aid those efforts by helping e-bikes become part of the solution. “
Applications were open to California citizens 18 years of age or older whose source of annual household income was at or below three hundred percent of the federal poverty level. For example, to be eligible, a one-child family earns no more than $45,000 per year and a two-child family earns no more than $61,000.
Applicants whose income was at or below 225% of the federal poverty level received priority on the application list, according to the air resources board. That translated into a single-family household making no more than about $33,000 and a two-member household income of no more than $45,000.
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