Public Works and Transportation Committee December 9, 2025 AGENDA REPORT TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Josh Rowan City Administrator Director, Department of Transportation SUBJECT: Electric Bike Lending Program Grant Acceptance and Contract Extension DATE: November 24, 2025 City Administrator Approval Date: RECOMMENDATION Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution: (1) Authorizing The City Administrator To: (A) Accept And Appropriate A Grant From CALSTART In An Amount Of Up To Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars ($800,000) For The Oakland Electric Bike Lending Program; (B) Amend The Professional Services Agreement With Bikehub To Operate The Electric Bike Lending Program For An Additional Four-Year Term In An Amount Not To Exceed Sixty-six Thousand, Two-Hundred And Three Dollars ($66,203) Per Year For A Total Contract Amount Over Four Years Of Two Hundred And Sixty-Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twelve Dollars ($264,812); (2) Waiving Advertising, Bidding And The Request For Proposal/Qualifications Competitive Selection Process; And (3) Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings Jestin Johnson (Nov 25, 2025 06:15:13 PST)
11/25/2025
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator Subject: Electric Bike Lending Program Grant Acceptance and Contract Extension Date: November 24, 2025 Page 2 Public Works and Transportation Committee December 9, 2025 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The goal of the Oakland Electric Bike Lending Program (E-bike Lending Program) is to increase access to electric bicycles (e-bikes) for Oakland residents living in the Senate Bill (SB) 535-designated Disadvantaged Communities. This program provides four-week e-bike rentals for only $20 to low-income Oakland residents aged 18 and over, through the Fruitvale BART Bike Station in the Fruitvale neighborhood. This program is intended as a complement to the existing BayWheels bike sharing program and other youth-focused bike lending programs funded through other grants. Eligible participants can visit the Citys website to reserve an e-bike. The e-bikes come with a sturdy lock, front shock absorbers, integrated lights, a helmet, and other safety gear. The e-bike lending program concept was proposed by community members as part of the 2018 Oakland Bike Plan (Lets Bike Oakland!) and will address key transportation gaps identified through that Plan. These gaps include high transportation costs, a lack of access to bicycles, and limited geographic access to key resources. E-bikes can help address each of these barriers, but cost two to four times as much as a non-electric bike, making them unaffordable to many. This program is designed to eliminate barriers to clean mobility and enable access to e-bikes for the first time for many low-income Oaklanders. In 2021, the City accepted and appropriated a $1,000,000 grant from CALSTART to fund the E-bike Lending Program for five years, including one year of planning and four years of operations. The contract to operate the E-bike Lending Program was awarded to Bikehub through a competitive request for proposals (RFP) in 2023. The E-bike Lending Program launched on September 23rd, 2025. Early results show strong and growing demand for the program. Staff are satisfied with Bikehubs performance. The contract with Bikehub expires on January 20th, 2026. Approval of the proposed resolution will allow the City to: accept and appropriate an additional $800,000 grant from CALSTART to support the operation of the e-bike rental program; extend the professional services agreement with Bikehub to operate the program for an additional four years to coincide with the five year grant term; and add $66,203 per year in additional capacity to Bikehubs contract, for a total of $264,812 over four years. Bikehub will continue to carry out the following tasks: Administrative Coordination, Reservation Operations, Limited Maintenance Operations, and Outreach and Engagement. BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY In 1996, City Council adopted a resolution supporting public transit and alternative modes, known as Oaklands Transit First Policy (Resolution No. 73036 CMS). This policy favors transit and alternative modes over private vehicles to reduce congestion and improve air quality, improve safety for people walking and bicycling, decrease parking demand, reduce individual transportation costs, and provide a balanced transportation system that supports many modes, making communities more livable. In July 2015, City Council approved Resolution No. 85715 C.M.S. adopting a Bike Sharing Policy and recognizing bike sharing as a beneficial mode of transportation.
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator Subject: Electric Bike Lending Program Grant Acceptance and Contract Extension Date: November 24, 2025 Page 3 Public Works and Transportation Committee December 9, 2025 In July 2019, City Council adopted Lets Bike Oakland! an update to Oakland's Bicycle Plan. The plan reflects the thoughtful participation of over 3,500 Oaklanders during the planning process and includes a specific recommendation to fund a community owned bike share system (such as a bike library). In October 2020, the City of Oakland applied to CALSTARTs Clean Mobility Options Voucher Program (CMO) to fund an electric bike library. The CMO program is a new transportation equity pilot that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by funding new zero-emission carsharing, carpooling/vanpooling, bike sharing, scooter sharing, innovative transit services and ride-on-demand services in Californias historically underserved communities. In April 2021, the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) was notified by CALSTART of a proposed award of a five-year, $1,000,000 grant for the E-bike Lending Program. In July 2021, the City Council accepted and appropriated the $1,000,000 grant from CALSTART and awarded a contract to GRID Alternatives Bay Area (GRID) to manage logistics for the E-bike Lending Program. GRID was responsible for managing outreach, procurement of e-bikes, and sub-contracting to store-front program operators and maintenance providers. In July 2023, OakDOT terminated its contract with GRID Alternatives Bay Area. City staff subsequently took on GRID Alternatives role. In October 2023, OakDOT released a request for proposals for a contractor to operate the E-bike Lending Program and received one response, from Bikehub. Bikehubs response was selected. In January 2025, the City entered into a Professional Service Agreement with Bikehub to operate the E-bike Lending Program out of their facility in the Fruitvale neighborhood, known as the Fruitvale BART Bike Station. In August 2024, The Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) was notified of an additional grant award of $800,000 from CALSTART for the E-bike Lending Program. This additional funding was intended to offset the unexpectedly high costs of insurance coverage, tariffs, and other project costs among their grantees. In September 2025, the E-bike Lending Program started operations. ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES The goal of the Oakland Electric Bike Lending program (E-bike Lending Program) is to increase access to electric bicycles for Oakland residents living in the Senate Bill (SB) 535-designated Disadvantaged Communities of West Oakland, Chinatown, Eastlake/San Antonio, Fruitvale and East Oakland. The E-bike Lending Program concept was identified by community members as part of the 2018 Oakland Bike Plan (Lets Bike Oakland!) and will help address key transportation barriers identified through that Plan. These barriers include high transportation costs, a lack of access to bicycles and limited geographic access to key resources. E-bikes can address each of these barriers but are typically more expensive than non-electric bikes and are unaffordable to many. Therefore, this program is designed to eliminate barriers to clean mobility and enable access to Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator Subject: Electric Bike Lending Program Grant Acceptance and Contract Extension Date: November 24, 2025 Page 4 Public Works and Transportation Committee December 9, 2025 e-bikes for the first time for many low-income Oaklanders. This program is intended as a complement to the existing BayWheels bike sharing program and other youth-focused bike lending programs funded through other grants. Key destinations in many disadvantaged neighborhoods in Oakland are more dispersed compared to the other parts of the city, and with fewer low-stress bikeways to access them. This makes many of the bike trips made by residents longer on average. E-bikes will enable residents to make biking trips that are further and longer than with a traditional bicycle. This will increase residents mobility and access to key amenities like public transit, schools, and grocery stores, helping to achieve citywide priority 2) housing, economic, and cultural security. The majority of traffic collisions in the City are caused by automobile drivers. This program will decrease the need to make trips by automobile, helping achieve citywide priority 1) holistic community safety. Additionally, e-bikes motor power provides increased accessibility for users with limited endurance and leg strength. In October 2020, the City of Oakland applied to CALSTARTs (CMO) to fund the E-bike Lending Program. The CMO program is a new transportation equity pilot that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by funding new zero-emission carsharing, carpooling/vanpooling, bike sharing, scooter sharing, innovative transit services, and ride-on-demand services in Californias historically underserved communities. The overarching purpose of the CMO grant program is to fund new or expanded transportation services, and the grant solicitation heavily favored collaboration with non-governmental partners to deliver those services. The City contracted with GRID Alternatives Bay Area as a non-governmental collaborator to sub-contract to community-based organizations (CBOs) to serve as the storefronts for the e-bike lending program. However, that contract was terminated, and OakDOT released a request for proposals (RFP) to operate the program. OakDOT received one proposal, from Bikehub. Bikehub is an organization that seeks to make commuting by bike more efficient, safe, and sustainable. Operating out of two locations in Oakland, in the Uptown and Fruitvale neighborhoods, they offer bike repairs and free valet bike parking. Their storefront location in Fruitvale, known as the Fruitvale BART Bike Station, provides an opportunity to connect East Oaklanders with affordable e-bike rentals while providing a new service to their existing customer base. Bikehub is contracted to operate the program by storing the e-bikes, locks, helmets, and other materials, maintaining an online bike reservation system, processing rentals, and inspecting and repairing bikes upon their return. The E-bike Lending Program also seeks to provide rentals of adaptive bicycles, such as hand-cycles, and tricycles, to persons with disabilities. Due to the constrained physical space available at the Fruitvale BART Bike Station, Bikehub is only able to accommodate standard size, two-wheeled bicycles. However, the programs budget (shown in Table 1) reserves $198,611 for a second operator to provide rentals of adaptive bicycles. Staff are in contact with the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP) to provide this unique service and expect to bring a proposed contract to the City Council in early 2026. PAST PERFORMANCE, EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP The contract with Bikehub began January 20th, 2025. Bikehub worked diligently with staff to develop an operations plan, modify their location for e-bike charging, procure and assemble all Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator Subject: Electric Bike Lending Program Grant Acceptance and Contract Extension Date: November 24, 2025 Page 5 Public Works and Transportation Committee December 9, 2025 fifty e-bikes and other equipment, set up an online reservation portal, conduct testing with five beta-testers, and prepare for launch. The E-bike Lending Program launched on September 23rd, 2025. This program now provides four-week e-bike rentals for only $20 to low-income Oakland residents aged 18 and over. The standard price is $120 for four weeks. There is a $500 credit or debit card deposit required to ensure equipment is returned. Eligible participants can visit the Citys website to reserve an e-bike. The high-quality e-bikes come with a sturdy lock, front shock absorbers, integrated lights, a helmet, and other safety gear. Early results show strong and growing demand for the program. Staff are satisfied with Bikehubs performance. The contract with Bikehub expires on January 20th, 2026. Waiver of Advertising, Bidding, and the Request For Proposal/Qualifications Selection (RFP/Q) Competitive Selection Requirements Pursuant to OMC 2.04.050(A)(I)(5) and 2.04.051(B), staff recommends that the City Council waive the competitive advertising, bidding, and RFP/Q requirements based on the following findings: (1) The services are professional and temporary in nature and require specialized expertise in the operation of e-bike fleet reservation, charging, security, maintenance, and public-facing lending programs; (2) The City lacks the personnel, equipment, and physical facilities necessary to store, charge, secure, maintain, and manage an e-bike fleet of this size and therefore cannot perform this work with existing staff; (3) Bikehub operates the only existing facility in the programs service area with secure indoor storage and multi-port charging capacity for an entire e-bike fleet, and no other operators responded to the competitive RFP issued in 2023; (4) Awarding the contract to Bikehub is in the best interests of the City because it avoids service disruption, protects the Citys eligibility for CALSTART funding, and provides continuity for participants of this mobility-equity program; (5) No permanent City positions will be displaced by this contract; and (6) The waiver promotes economy and efficiency under City Charter §902 by preventing service gaps, duplication of procurement, and increased program cost. Staff recommends that the City Council waive the advertising, bidding, and RFP/Q requirements based on the following: Unique Service: Bikehub has an extensive track record of providing reliable services to cyclists in East Oakland. Bikehubs existing space and storefront provides the unique opportunity to both store the citys entire e-bike fleet and operate rental services from one location. Efficiencies: Bikehubs existing community relationships in the Fruitvale neighborhood, and experience working with the City of Oakland, will lead to efficiencies as the organization is familiar with city procedures and the customer base that this program seeks to serve. Proven performance: Bikehub diligently worked with staff to implement their scope of work, including procurement of all materials and provision of an online reservation system. Bikehub launched the E-bike Lending Program on September 23rd, 2025, and has operated Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator Subject: Electric Bike Lending Program Grant Acceptance and Contract Extension Date: November 24, 2025 Page 6 Public Works and Transportation Committee December 9, 2025 it successfully since then. Early feedback from users has been positive and staff are satisfied with their performance. Not waiving advertising, bidding, and the RFP/Q competitive selection requirements would compromise the Citys ability to deliver the scope that was promised in the grant; jeopardize our relationship with existing community partners; undermine our ability to win additional grant funding from CALSTART and bring additional investment to Oakland; and delay the plan delivery timeline. Thus, staff requests that the Council waive advertising, bidding, and the RFP/Q competitive selection requirements and award a professional services agreement to Bikehub to operate the Oakland E-bike Lending Program. FISCAL IMPACT Approval of the proposed resolution would accept and appropriate $800,000 of CALSTART grant funds in the State of California Other Grants Fund (2159), E-Bike Lending Program (1006259), Parking and Mobility Organization (35247), Streets & Sidewalks Mgmt & Development Program (IN04). Implementation of this project will not require expenditure of City funds and will have a net positive fiscal impact on the City of Oakland by providing affordable access to e-bikes for low-income Oaklanders. OakDOT will receive funds as part of this grant award, which will be used to fund staff to oversee the project and to contract with Bikehub to operate the program. The grantor also offers the option of paying vendors directly for capital costs over $10,000. Staff took advantage of this option for the e-bike procurement ($115,707) and insurance costs ($93,011). The five-year grant funding is being allocated as follows: Table 1: Budget Organization/ Category Original Budget Proposed Budget City Expenditures To-Date Task Description OakDOT $80,000 $342,947 $65,036 Staff funding for project administration, planning, outreach and oversight. Storefront operator (BikeHub) $192,000 $264,812 $29,853 $26,480 for Administrative Coordination, including to attendance at all partner coordination meetings, keeping a log of activities such as e-bike rental data, creating progress reports, etc. $207,852 for Reservation Operations, including creating an Operations Plan, creating an online reservations portal, supporting participants, operating Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator Subject: Electric Bike Lending Program Grant Acceptance and Contract Extension Date: November 24, 2025 Page 7 Public Works and Transportation Committee December 9, 2025 Organization/ CategoryOriginal Budget Proposed BudgetCity Expenditures To-Date Task Description a physical storefront for the program, on-site storage, and managing customers e-bike reservations. $26,481 for limited maintenance Operations, including providing minor repair services, coordinating repairs and invoices with Maintenance Partners for repairs beyond the limited provided repair services. $4,000 for outreach and engagement, such as supporting the Citys social media and marketing strategies and supporting two outreach events per year. GRID Alternatives $198,000 $0 $106,814 GRID Alternatives completed initial outreach before their contract was canceled. An outreach summary is available on the programs website. Equipment/ capital costs $530,000 (includes insurance) $387,500 Fifty Gazelle Medeo T-9 City e-bikes equipped with locks, helmets, tracking mechanisms and other accessories. The project was initially budgeted for up to 500 e-bikes, but this proved to be more than the storefront operator (Bikehub) could accommodate. Insurance $0 $347,304 State mandated insurance coverage for fifty e-bikes for five years. E-bike Maintenance contract $0 $152,000 Major e-bike maintenance will be accomplished through a separate contract with Bikehub. Additional operations partner (adaptive vehicles) $0 $198,611 Reserved for a second contractor to operate adaptive bike rentals for persons with disabilities. Staff expect to bring an item to the Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator Subject: Electric Bike Lending Program Grant Acceptance and Contract Extension Date: November 24, 2025 Page 8 Public Works and Transportation Committee December 9, 2025 Organization/ CategoryOriginal Budget Proposed BudgetCity Expenditures To-Date Task Description Council to award a contract for this task in early 2026. Total $1,000,000 $1,800,000 $201,703 PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST The e-bike lending concept was identified by the community during public outreach for Lets Bike Oakland! an update to Oakland's Bicycle Plan. That plan reflects the thoughtful participation of over 3,500 Oaklanders during the planning process and includes a specific recommendation to fund a community owned bike share system (such as a bike library). This project directly builds upon and supports these efforts to improve bike facilities, particularly in disadvantaged communities. The programs design is the result of significant community outreach. Early community engagement gathered community feedback on types of e-bikes to purchase and the general parameters of the program, including maximum rental duration, cost and accessories. In 2022, GRID Alternatives outreach survey obtained a total of 243 responses and introduced the program to 81 community partners. Most survey participants from priority zip codes stated they would use the e-bike library to grocery shop, for fun, and to commute to school or work. When asked about program costs, respondents expressed that the programs pricing should be on par with existing transit services, with discounts for low-income users. Bikehub will continue these outreach efforts and support two events, such as e-bike literacy workshops or group rides, each year. A formal launch event for the program occurred on September 29, 2025, featuring public speakers including Mayor Barbara Lee, Councilmember Gallo, and Bike East Bay Co-executive Director Justin Hu-Nguyen. Multiple press outlets covered the event including KTVU news, the San Francisco Chronicle, KALW, The Oaklandside, and the Bay City News. Staff plan to continue outreach using the Citys social media accounts.
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator Subject: Electric Bike Lending Program Grant Acceptance and Contract Extension Date: November 24, 2025 Page 9 Public Works and Transportation Committee December 9, 2025 COORDINATION The Budget Bureau and City Attorneys office were consulted in preparation of this report and resolution. SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES Economic: By offering low-cost e-bike rental, this program will increase mobility and economic opportunities for Oaklanders, allowing them to ride further and longer to their destinations. Environmental: Electric bikes emit no air pollution or greenhouse gases. By assisting the rider in pedaling, they greatly increase the distance that the average rider can cover, leading to more frequent and longer bike trips. These e-bikes will contribute to an overall shift in mode of transportation away from single occupancy vehicles, and towards walking, biking, and transit. Race & Equity: This project is designed to address two major barriers to electric bike adoption in Oaklands communities of color: a lack of bike shops and the high costs of the bikes themselves. By partnering with Bikehub, the project will provide physical access to e-bikes in the disadvantaged community of Fruitvale. By offering short to long term e-bike rentals at a highly subsidized rate, the project will greatly reduce the financial barriers to e-bikes, which are typically double to triple the cost of equivalent non-electric bikes CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) The proposed action is exempt from CEQA under CEQA Guidelines §15061(b)(3) because the acceptance of grant funds, amendment of a professional services agreement, and operation of an e-bike lending program will not have a significant effect on the environment. The project involves no construction or physical improvements. Upon approval, the City Administrator or designee will file a Notice of Exemption with the County Clerk. ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution: (1) Authorizing The City Administrator To: (A) Accept And Appropriate A Grant From CALSTART In An Amount Of Up To Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars ($800,000) For The Oakland Electric Bike Lending Program; (B) Amend The Professional Services Agreement With Bikehub To Operate The Electric Bike Lending Program For An Additional Four-Year Term In An Amount Not To Exceed Sixty-six Thousand, Two-Hundred And Three Dollars ($66,203) Per Year For A Total Contract Amount Over Four Years Of Two Hundred And Sixty-Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twelve Dollars ($264,812); (2) Waiving Advertising, Bidding And The Request For Proposal/Qualifications Competitive Selection Process; And Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator Subject: Electric Bike Lending Program Grant Acceptance and Contract Extension Date: November 24, 2025 Page 10 Public Works and Transportation Committee December 9, 2025 (3) Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings For questions regarding this report, please contact Kerby Olsen, Supervising Transportation Planner, at 510-238-2173. Respectfully submitted, Josh Rowan Director, Department of Transportation Reviewed by: Michael Ford, Parking and Mobility Division Manager Prepared by: Kerby Olsen, Supervising Transportation Planner Mobility Management