City of Oakland Launches Electric Bike Lending Program
Published on September 23, 2025
OAKLAND, CA – The City of Oakland has launched a new, low-cost electric bike lending program at the Fruitvale BART Bike Station. Through this program, Oakland residents age 18 and over can rent an electric bicycle (e-bike) for a four-week period for $120. Low-income residents pay only $20.
E-bikes use a motor and battery to help riders conquer hills and long distances with ease. E-bikes tend to be more expensive than traditional bikes, averaging at least $2,000 up to $6,000, which can be a financial barrier for many low-income communities. The new e-bike rental program aims to overcome that barrier by providing a low-cost rental service in the heart of the disadvantaged community of Fruitvale.
“Launching this program here in Fruitvale matters, because accessibility starts in the heart of our neighborhoods. We want families to have reliable, low-cost options to get to work, school, and daily essentials,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. “This is another step in making Oakland the cleanest, safest, greenest city in America. I’m grateful to the California Air Resources Board for investing in Oakland and helping us make this wonderful vision a reality.”
The Fruitvale Bike Station is an ideal partner for this program. Located in the Fruitvale BART transit village, this facility already provides bike valet and bike repair services to commuters and local residents. Operating the e-bike rental program will leverage the Fruitvale Bike Station’s deep expertise with bicycles, while adding a new and innovative service for their customers.
The e-bikes available for lending are the Gazelle Medeo T-9 City, a Class 1 e-bike with a 20mph top speed, built for an easy, upright riding position. They’re perfect for a wide range of riders and outfitted for city riding with racks, shock absorbers and integrated lights.
This program is funded by a $1.8 million, five-year grant from the Clean Mobility Options (CMO) voucher program. CMO is a California Air Resources Board (CARB) program that provides funding for community-driven mobility projects that increase residents’ access to key destinations by providing various clean transportation options.
"Electric bikes are not your grandfather’s bike. They make getting around on a bike easy and fast, even for our seniors. And with this new rental program located right in the Fruitvale, residents can experience the convenience of e-bikes for a very low price, without having to buy a new bike,” said District 5 Councilmember Noel Gallo. “I’m excited to try one out myself!”
“This program is the culmination of years of community advocacy for a low-cost, community run e-bike rental program. With funding from the Clean Mobility Options Voucher program, we’ve made that dream a reality. This program will introduce hundreds of Oaklanders to the world of e-biking,” said Josh Rowan, Director of the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT).
“Clean Mobility Options is proud to support Oakland's e-bike lending program,” saidCesar Hernandez, deputy director at CALSTART, the lead administrator for CMO. “This new program will provide affordable, clean mobility access to residents throughout Oakland living in overburdened communities. This is an exciting step forward towards a cleaner, equitable future.”
“Bike East Bay is thrilled to see the City of Oakland take a bold step in expanding active transportation options with its new e-bike lending program. We know from the success of e-bikes in the current bikeshare program that e-bikes are a game-changer for Oakland,” said Justin Hu-Nguyen, Co-Executive Director of Bike East Bay. “This lending program will be especially impactful in communities not yet served by bikeshare, directly addressing a key barrier to access. We are confident this program will succeed and are eager to see it expand throughout the city, bringing equitable, sustainable transportation to more residents.”
ABOUT OakDOT: OakDOT is responsible for envisioning, planning, building, operating and maintaining a transportation system for the City of Oakland and assures safe, equitable, and sustainable access and mobility for residents, businesses and visitors. OakDOT’s Strategic Plan guides the department’s work, and is structured around four pillars: Equity, Safety, Sound Infrastructure, and Responsible Governance.
ABOUT CLEAN MOBILITY OPTIONS: Clean Mobility Options (CMO) is part of California Climate Investments and California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Clean Transportation Program. CMO, a California Air Resources Board project, is a statewide initiative that provides funding for zero-emission shared mobility options to under-resourced communities in California. CMO is available throughout California to all eligible disadvantaged and low-income communities and tribal governments to increase access to safe, reliable, convenient, and affordable transportation options. For more information, visit cleanmobilityoptions.org.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA CLIMATE INVESTMENTS: California Climate Investments is a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Invest, formerly known as Cap-and-Trade, dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in underserved communities.
ABOUT CEC’s CLEAN TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM: California Energy Commission’s Clean Transportation Program is investing more than $1 billion to accelerate the deployment of zero-emission transportation infrastructure and support in-state manufacturing and workforce training and development.