Shoreline residents who got an e-bike last year drove less and polluted less. More e-bike rebates are available.
Shoreline gave 125 e-bikes to residents in the city’s most polluted neighborhoods in Ridgecrest and Briarcrest last year.
Those e-bike recipients drove less, reducing tons of climate pollution.
Last year’s e-bike recipients reduced their car usage, driving an average of 1.3 fewer days per week.
They replaced about 2.26 car trips per week, totaling about 859 fewer vehicle miles per year for each rider, said the Pedal Forward Shoreline Final Report.
Collectively, that prevented an estimated 43 metric tons of CO₂ from being spewed annually, said the report.
To remove that much climate pollution from the air, thousands of mature trees would need to be planted, based on MIT and USDA data for how much CO₂ a single tree absorbs each year.
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| An e-bike hauling free trees from Shoreline’s communi-trees event Photo by Oliver J Moffat |
Shoreline’s Pedal Forward program will again be giving out e-bike rebates, fully funded by a State Department of Ecology $125,000 grant, according to recent city budget documents.
Shoreline residents can apply for a $500 e-bike rebate, and low-income residents can get $1,500 rebates.
In addition, all Washington residents can apply for an e-bike rebate from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
Washington residents, age 16 and older, can apply for a WSDOT rebate of $300 or $1,200 depending on household income on eligible e-bikes.
Most climate pollution in Shoreline spews from tailpipes: 55% of climate pollution comes from transportation.
Shoreline’s Climate Action Plan seeks to reduce miles driven per person 20% by 2030 and 50% by 2050 to cut that pollution down.
According to the Shoreline Climate Action Plan 2025 Year In Review, there was a 16% decrease in miles driven per person per day compared to the 2019 baseline.
Mr. Moffat might do well to check out Page 18 of Shoreline's 2023 Urban Tree Canopy Assessment, Ecosystem Benefit Values of Shoreline's Urban Forest:
ReplyDelete$3,246,636 Annual Benefits (Air Quality, Stormwater, and Carbon Sequestration)
$21,058,647 Total Benefits (Total Annual Benefits Plus Stored Carbon)
These taxpayer dollars just may be a bit higher now, considering the document is three years old.
E-bikes accomplish two things: helping reduce CO2 and getting a person from point A to point B. Trees accomplish a list of benefits too numerous to print here.
When people make comparisons of the CO2 sequestering ability of established trees to lower CO2 emissions from use of e-bikes due to less car trips, they have not done their research well enough. It is not accurate or scientific to make these comparisons between e-bikes with one variable of CO2, and tree value as suggested in the article above by Mr. Moffat. Trees have many environmental and health benefits besides sequestering CO2.
ReplyDeleteIs Mr. Moffat implying it is okay to cut down trees, not protect them, or plant them because they do not sequester enough CO2 equal to less CO2 emissions from riding an e-bike? This is not how nature works. In today’s climate crisis, we need to rethink major transportation design projects so that many more of our established trees and natural habitat can be saved locally and have safe bike lanes, sidewalks, and efficient public transit. Established trees are part of a tree grove, a tree canopy, an urban forest of hundreds of trees, and all combine to reduce greenhouse gases, air pollution, and moderate the ambient temperature.
Trees are generational and are necessary for a healthy environment and numerous studies support this fact. One also has to consider the negatives of e-bikes over time as well. Though a small minority of people use e-bikes as compared to the general population, e-bikes raise significant safety concerns and people may be injured; e-bikes are still dependent on limited resources like lithium for their batteries, and the batteries can cause fires. Full recycling of e-waste is still not completely in place for bikes and lithium batteries.
It would be more helpful if we all stopped viewing our environment in the context of an either/or proposition between e-bikes and trees, and instead embrace a synergistic and holistic view for the future in our urban environments when we regard trees and transportation modalities.
Planting and retaining trees is important to the environment, just as transportation options, including e-bikes, are of consequence. In addition to storing carbon, trees produce oxygen, lower air temperature, improve human health and reduce erosion. Just a few of the benefits of trees. This article states "Collectively, that [125 e-bikes] prevented an estimated 43 metric tons of CO2 from being spewed annually..." and "To remove that much climate pollution from the air, thousands of mature trees would need to be planted, based on MIT and USDA data for how much CO2 a single tree absorbs each year." According to the USDA, citing the Arbor Day Foundation (1), a single tree can absorb up to 48 lbs of CO2 annually. 1,000 trees store 22 metric tons of CO2 annually, 2000 trees store 44 metric tons of CO2. Where does this comparison lead? That there is no need to plant trees or maintain mature trees? "A single large tree can supply a day's worth of oxygen for up to four people..." (2). Yes, an e-bike reduces CO2, but it cannot supply four people with a day's worth of oxygen or provide any of the other benefits of established trees.
ReplyDelete(1-2) Source: Arbor Day Foundation Tree Facts
It is great that alternative modalities for transportation are explored. It is also important to reduce reliance on gas powered vehicles and have less cars on the road. And e-bikes and the regular pedal bikes are both useful. However, in the climate chaos we face, it is important not to devalue what can help us, such as the need to respect and protect our trees and green spaces and create more.
ReplyDeleteAlso this is one factoid that adds some perspective on CO2 in the air. Next summer if the Navy’s Blue Angels come again in August 2026, their typical air show generates 300,000 pounds or 136 metric tons of CO2 into the air in a single show. That is the same as 30 cars driving 30 miles round trip for one year at 22 miles per gallon. Or stated another way, one weekend show for the Blue Angels is equal to the CO2 emitted by 30 cars each driving 150,000 miles – and this does not include the toxins and particulates emitted by the jets that are harmful. Priorities need to be clear on how we perceive our environment – respect our natural environment and mitigate and stop the activities that truly harms it. I agree with the comment from Ms. Morris above that says it is important to keep a holistic and inclusive view on trees and transportation. I agree with J. Kemmerling as well.
Seems like it was a successful program. I'm glad to hear they're continuing it.
ReplyDeletePollution and climate aside, it's great to see people switching to active transportation (like walking or biking) when it's appropriate for the trip. It makes people healthier and happier.