Go! Vermont, the hardworking and innovative state alternative transportation agency, has contracted with VBike to provide free bike consultations to Vermont households, families, businesses and even to bike shops. This is a groundbreaking program that is a first in the nation. VBike will help you to choose the e-bike, e-cargo bike, and/or e-assist system that best fits your needs based on the terrain and distance you intend to ride, what you want to do with your bike, cargo hauling needs, and many other considerations.

This is a great way to become familiar with the exciting options. We’ll help you to confidently approach this new local transportation mode that perfectly complements our appreciation for the land and the quality of life we expect for our communities. For that reason, we like to call our consultation program “car reduction therapy.”

The consultations, coupled with the VSECU low-interest VGreen loans extended to bikes, makes purchasing the bike of your dreams easier. And now, with rebates from Green Mountain Power and the Burlington Electric Department, the purchase of an e-bike, ecargo bike, or conversion kit, things are getting really interesting.

For more information, go to the Vbike website at www.vbikesolutions.org.

City of Burlington News

The City of Burlington reports, “As part of our ongoing effort to expand transportation options in Burlington, we are beginning steps to build a proposal for a 2019 electric bicycle share and electric scooter share.

Building off last year’s Greenride bike share program in our community, Burlington, South Burlington, and Winooski are considering a much-expanded venture this year with an all-electric fleet of shared bicycles and scooters. With environmental and public health benefits and less impact on roads, communities across the country are adopting this new approach to getting you to home, work, school, and play.

A proposal to make the rideshare program an all-electric fleet was to be brought before the Transportation, Energy, and Utilities Committee of the City Council on June 3.

For more information, go to www.burlingtonvt.gov/DPW/Transportation/ETransportation.