Over the next month, Streetsblog will be running a mini-series on the California Air Resources Board’s e-bike voucher program as the state prepares for its “second window” for applicants to apply for a voucher. There was $31 million allocated for the program, enough for roughly 15,000 vouchers. CARB had always planned for multiple "windows" for people to apply for vouchers. Only 10% of the total vouchers were awarded in December.
Over 100,000 people were waiting online on the evening of December 18, hoping to claim one of the 1,500 vouchers to aid in the purchase of electric bicycles. The program was already beleaguered in the public consciousness, suffering from literally years of delay and the ongoing scandal surrounding the company responsible for the rollout of the program, Pedal Ahead.
What happened that December evening was another black eye. The California Air Resource Board (CARB), the public agency overseeing the program, failed to predict the demand and the portal to apply for the voucher closed just forty-five minutes after it opened. Frustrated potential applicants lashed out on social media and even some of those who were well prepared and waiting when the portal opened never got access.
Staff at CARB said there were no technical issues with the website and that any issues were caused by high demand, applicants using outdated browsers, applicants not properly refreshing the website, or multiple devices attempting to access the device under one IP address.
Whether you are one of the frustrated applicants who never got to apply, or someone who received a voucher, CARB is soliciting feedback on the first window. They are holding an online workshop on March 5, Implementation and Solicitation Workgroup: Public Meeting for the California E-Bike Incentive Project | California Air Resources Board and will be proposing a randomization application process instead of the first come, first served system used last year.
Streetsblog did hear from two people that navigated the gauntlet and received their vouchers from CARB and have purchased their e-bikes.
After successfully managing to create an account and submit information, something that many prospective applicants were unable to do, the pair still ran into issues right off the bat. They write of the process:
First, we received an email stating that our income document was incorrect. Instead of accepting a copy of our tax returns, they specifically required a “tax return transcript,” which isn’t easy to obtain. To access it, we had to log in to the IRS website, verify our identity via a Zoom call, and complete additional steps just to retrieve the document.
Additionally, when asked about household members, we initially included everyone living under the same roof. However, we later learned that they only wanted details about spouses or dependents. They asked for clarification on discrepancies but didn’t provide clear instructions on how to resolve them.
Honestly, with all the back and forth, I felt like we wouldn’t qualify. After multiple emails, phone calls, and voicemails, we finally received an email congratulating us on our approval.
If you’re a little confused by the term “tax return transcript,” you can learn more about it and how to receive yours online immediately at this webpage from Northern Illinois University.
Staff at CARB have said they are reviewing the data from the December window and will likely make some changes for future openings. They do see some successes from the December launch, including the help line.
“[The] people who followed our advice on the above after speaking with the representative reported being able to get into the queue,” Lys Mendez, then- director of communications for CARB, wrote in an email to Melanie Curry last month.
But, she conceded, “obviously, it would have been difficult to provide this one-on-one service to all the people who were waiting to get into the website.”
