Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Pasadena, Altadena Residents Eligible for $2,000 Electric Cargo Bike Vouchers

[photo credit: San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments]

San Gabriel Valley agency announces $950,000 in new funding to put 475 families on two wheels

For the price of a used dishwasher, a Pasadena parent could haul two kids and a week’s worth of groceries up Colorado Boulevard — no gasoline required.

The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments announced $950,000 in funding for a new round of its GoSGV E-Cargo Bike Voucher Program, which will provide 475 residents with $2,000 point-of-sale vouchers toward electric cargo bikes. Residents of Pasadena and Altadena are among those eligible to apply when spring 2026 pre-applications open, according to the agency.

Officials made the announcement at a news conference in San Dimas at 9:30 a.m., followed by an e-bike demonstration and tour, according to a SGVCOG news release.

Electric cargo bikes — two- or three-wheeled bicycles with pedal-assist motors and frames built to carry children, groceries, or heavy loads — typically cost between $3,000 and $6,000. The voucher covers a significant share of that cost and is applied directly at the point of sale through approved retailers.

“Cargo e-bikes are a practical and sustainable way for families to move around their neighborhoods, whether it’s picking up groceries, commuting to work, or taking kids to school,” Claremont Councilmember Ed Reece, president of the SGVCOG, said in a statement during the program’s initial launch in November 2025.

The program is funded by three grants: a Regional Early Action Planning grant from the Southern California Association of Governments, a Metro grant funded by Interstate 10 ExpressLanes toll revenue, and a Transformative Climate Communities grant from the California Strategic Growth Council, according to the SGVCOG.

This marks the program’s second voucher round. The first, which opened in November 2025, offered 300 vouchers and drew what officials described as overwhelming demand. Pre-applications for that round closed within two weeks.

Wes Reutimann, deputy director of Active San Gabriel Valley, the nonprofit that operates the GoSGV program alongside the SGVCOG, uses an e-cargo bike to take his children to school in Pasadena. “The focus is really on households that may have young children or that may be looking to reduce the number of vehicle trips they have to take for everyday needs, whether that be doing errands around town, going to the store, doing school pickup and drop off,” Reutimann told LAist in March 2025.

To qualify, applicants must be 18 or older and reside in the San Gabriel Valley. Priority is given to residents of I-10 ExpressLanes communities — including Alhambra, El Monte, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, and South El Monte — and to income-qualified residents enrolled in programs such as CalFresh, Medi-Cal, or Section 8 housing, according to the SGVCOG.

Pasadena and Altadena are listed among the eligible San Gabriel Valley communities on the SGVCOG’s program website.

Voucher recipients must complete a three-hour rider safety training course administered by ActiveSGV before receiving their voucher code. They must also agree to participate in a research study conducted by the University of Tennessee evaluating the program’s effects. Eligible bikes must be new, cargo-style, Class 1, 2, or 3 e-bikes with UL-certified batteries and a minimum weight capacity of 330 pounds, purchased from an approved retailer.

Pre-application dates and the online application link for the spring 2026 round will be posted at sgvcog.org/go-sgv. For questions, residents can call the SGVCOG at 626-373-2690 or email gosgv@sgvcog.org.

The GoSGV program began in 2017 when the SGVCOG received a $4.55 million grant from the California Transportation Commission. It has since grown into one of the nation’s largest long-term electric bike share programs, according to the agency, now adding the voucher component to meet demand that the rental fleet alone could not satisfy.