We do some things well here in New Mexico, such as electing Democrats most of the time and roasting a damn good chile. Other things…we’re still working on.

Folks all around us have created e-bike buying programs designed to make these generally pricey but potentialy life-changing transport options more readily available. Here’s the City of Boston, MA program in a nutshell:

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The goals of Boston’s E-Bikes Incentive Program are to address historic inequities in transportation access, accelerate mode shift to sustainable modes of transportation, and improve mobility options for residents. The City plans to provide approximately 1,000 vouchers ranging from $800 to $2,400 to help reduce the costs of purchasing an e-bike. Each recipient will also receive $150 toward the purchase of bicycle safety equipment.

Information about Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the E-Bikes Incentive Program, you must be a resident of the City of Boston, 18 years of age or older, and ONE of the following:

• Senior 60+
• Adult with a chronic or permanent disability
• Income-eligible adult, who is at or below 40% AMI

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Btw, 40% of AMI in Boston is $65,280 for a family of four. Boston’s program is funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act, created to help our senior citizens and those with disabilities get around more, so it’s not like ABQ or NM would necessarily be on the hook for setting up such a program.

That said, with $660 million in “new money” here in New Mexico, and over $11 billion in oil & gas revenues piling up, we could easily self-fund an even more robust e-bike rebate/voucher program with zero difficulty. In a State so good at electing Democrats these days, you’d think our Democratic Governor and Democratically-controlled Legislature would have already looked into and implemented an e-bike incentive program here.

You’d think that.

A 2023 e-bike rebate bill sponsored by Senators Steinborn and Sedillo-Lopez, and Representative Tara Lujan (all Ds) suffered what I call DBEFGTC (“Died Before Even Fucking Going To Committee”). That bill would have authorized $5 million for a rebate program, which works out on my computer’s calculator as 0.75%, i.e., zero-point-seven five percent of our estimated $660 million in “new money.”

Will there be a rebate/voucher bill sponsored/passed in the upcoming 60-day Session? I don’t know, but I haven’t heard of one being proferred (I’m all ears and hopeful to hear otherwise). On top of the financial ease we’d have creating one, there is the point that maybe we should put at least some of this oil & gas fossil fuel blood money toward renewable energy/transport (yes, I know most of the electricity here in still generated by fossil fuels, but work with me here).

As sensible as that argument sounds to what I’d imagine is a large number of folks, particulary of the D-orientation, I won’t be surprised if we continue to hear crickets in terms of state action come Roundhouse Time in ’25.