The City of Cincinnati Innovation Team, in collaboration with the Office of Environment and Sustainability, is launching a pilot program with The Garage OTR bike shop to offer interest-free installment payments on e-bikes. The pilot is designed to expand affordable mobility options for residents while reducing emissions and supporting healthier ways of getting around Cincinnati through active transportation. The pilot program will be available for City of Cincinnati residents that are at least 18 years old. 

This program is supported by $50,000 in philanthropic funding provided directly to The Garage OTR as part of a pilot accelerator program. The pilot will explore whether green financing solutions can help increase adoption for more sustainable and affordable modes of transportation. 

“One of our core focuses, when it comes to building vibrant neighborhoods, is ensuring residents of all walks of life are able to access the amenities around them,” said Mayor Aftab Pureval. “Real, affordable, multi-modal transportation options are a necessary part of that. This e-bike pilot is yet another investment in the kind of connectivity our residents rightfully expect.” 

“This pilot is about meeting residents where they are and exploring new ways to make transportation more accessible, especially during these uncertain times where gas prices and car ownership are becoming more and more expensive,” said the Cincinnati Innovation Team Director, Joshua Pine. “We’re especially excited to work on this pilot with The Garage OTR bike shop to support local business while providing residents with more mobility options.” 

The Garage OTR’s owner, Shawn Jenkins said, “we are delighted to partner with the City of Cincinnati Innovation Team on this pioneering pilot program. By expanding access to electric bikes, this initiative gives Cincinnati residents a more flexible and sustainable path to transportation independence.” 

To mark the start of the initiative, The Garage OTR is hosting an Open House on Friday, May 15th from 11:30am –1:00pm at 10 E Central Pkwy for the general public and members of the press to stop by on their lunch break, enjoy complimentary pizza, and test ride one of their many e-bike models. 

About the Cincinnati Innovation Team (i-team): The Cincinnati i-team was created in partnership between the City of Cincinnati and the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University. We focus on advancing innovative, equity-centered solutions that support the City’s long-term goals, including those outlined in the Financial Freedom Blueprint and the Green Cincinnati Plan. Our core work is focused on exploring inclusive transportation and mobility solutions, particularly for those households and neighborhoods most affected by mobility constraints and inequalities.   

To learn more about the e-bike program, please visit our website.