Sustainable Transportation: Hayward Rides & E-Bikes
Hayward Rides
Program Overview
The City of Hayward is excited to launch Hayward Rides, a program designed to provide residents with access to free bicycles, helping to make cycling a more accessible, affordable, and sustainable transportation option. Hayward Rides is one of the largest municipal bike programs in the country. The program aims to support residents and youth, especially those in disadvantaged and low-income communities, by providing bicycles and essential safety equipment. This program aims to promote healthy and sustainable transportation habits and foster a vibrant cycling community where residents feel a sense of belonging while biking around the City. Hayward Rides is planned to soft launch in May 2025 and a full launch in January 2026.
Program Design
Hayward Rides was developed based on ongoing outreach with Hayward communities to understand barriers to biking, type of preferred devices (i.e. conventional & electric bikes and scooters), and delivery methods.
Funding Source
Hayward Rides is part of the “Safe Routes to Active Transportation for Schools and Underserved Communities in Hayward” Project funded by the California Air Resource Board’s Clean Mobility in Schools Grant Program.
Your Participation Matters
To make Hayward Rides as effective as possible, the City has worked closely with local organizations and community partners to design a program that meets the diverse needs of residents. Outreach efforts, including surveys and interviews with over 1,000 residents, have helped shape key elements of the program. The City is also exploring ways to provide bicycle maintenance support and build a stronger biking culture in Hayward, ensuring that participants can safely and confidently incorporate biking into their daily lives
E-Bikes
Hayward's Climate Change Strategy promotes e-Bike ownership to cut greenhouse gas emissions. E-bikes offer a fun, versatile way to travel, expanding biking accessibility for all!
Background:
The city's Micromobility Feasibility Study, finished in late 2023, offers short-term solutions to reduce driving, parking demand, and boost walking, biking, and transit. By embracing e-bikes, Hayward advances towards eco-friendly transportation.
A climate leader, Hayward adopted the original Climate Action Plan (CAP) in 2009, reaffirming its dedication to sustainability. In January 2024, the City Council unanimously approved an updated CAP targeting a 15% increase in bike, e-bike, e-scooter, and walking commuters by 2030, slashing 6,485 metric tons of CO2.
E-bikes not only cut emissions but also foster an eco-conscious community, enhancing fitness and well-being.
Join us in choosing e-Bikes for a greener, safer, and livelier Hayward!