Montbello’s E-Bike Libraries Revolutionize ‘Transit Desert’

Paul Mathers, a longtime Montbello resident, vividly recalled the transformative moment an e-bike he purchased with a Denver rebate changed his life. 

“I used to walk two hours to work every day and two hours back—four hours every day—and always wondered why I could not make any progress in my life. You know, I tried one of these e-bikes I saw lying around on the sidewalk, and my four-hour trip turned into a 90-minute one,” Paul said. “I eventually saved up to buy a bike of my own, and now I make more money than ever before. Yeah, man, I love those bikes!”

Paul’s experience highlights the potential of e-bikes to alleviate transportation challenges around the Denver area, particularly in regions like Montbello, which many consider a “transit desert.” 

Transit deserts are areas where the community’s demand for transportation exceeds the city’s available supply, leaving thousands of residents struggling with limited mobility. A 2018 study by the Smithsonian Magazine found that 1.51% of all Denver residents lived in one of these “transit deserts,” with the city’s northeast Montbello community being one of the most affected areas. 

Christopher Urias from the Montbello Organizing Committee, or MOC, explained the dire situation: “Montbello is a desert of many deserts, whether it’s food, transportation, or housing.” 

The Regional Transportation District, or RTD, reduced service to Montbello in 2013, exacerbating transportation difficulties for residents. After years of community deliberation and a critical report from Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency in 2020, the MOC moved forward with its Montbello Moves program, which includes the innovative e-bike library initiative.

“This is what the community asked for,” Urias said. “They need transportation. The idea came up, you know, a bike library, and we just ran with it. We got the committee support, and people love it.”

In addition to their comparably affordable price, these e-bikes make challenges like hills and traffic easier to navigate, enabling a rider to travel substantially longer distances with less fatigue. Because of their accessibility, price and reliability, they are perfect for communities like Montbello, Urias said. 

“I think this is just another way for folks to utilize bikes in our neighborhood, and you utilize the infrastructure. We’re still working on the infrastructure here, [in] Montbello. But because of RTD, the bus routes, and Montbello being a car-centric neighborhood, this is just another way to promote another mode of transportation out here.” 

These e-bike libraries consist of a fleet of electric bicycles that Montbello residents can rent for up to three days at a time. The bikes, equipped with motors to assist pedaling, operate like regular bicycles but enhance human effort rather than replace it. The organizing committee’s fleet includes ten bikes stored in a solar-powered shipping container at the Montbello Community Building at 12000 E. 47th Ave. This setup allows the bike batteries to be charged at no cost.

“You could go online or visit our container and meet with our bike librarian. Either way, you will be directed to a QR code, which will take you to our website to reserve a bike online,” Urias said. “It’s just a great way to utilize this transportation.”

For MOC bike librarian Xitlaly Sandoval, knowing she’s helping people like Paul motivates her to come to work every day. 

“To give other people the opportunity to buy bikes, especially for those people who did have a bike in their childhood, now they can have a bike for free,” Sandoval said. “I feel like watching them have a smile and seeing the happiness on their faces is something I can feel good about.”

In recent years, Denver has noted the movement toward micromobility vehicles like electric scooters and e-bikes, which help bridge the gaps as the city expands public transportation. The smaller machines also help reduce carbon emissions, leading the city to launch its e-bike rebate program on Earth Day 2022. Since the program’s inception, the Mile High City has added over 8,200 electric bikes to city streets. A limited number of these vouchers are released five times a year and are meant to offer a point-of-sale rebate for the customer. The most recent release was June 25 and starting this year, voucher amounts are delineated by three income tiers. The state also has a separate rebate program as well. 

While helpful for people like Paul, these rebates are awarded on a first-come basis, making them extremely difficult to receive. This leaves people like Paul’s co-worker and fellow Montbello resident, James Laws, waiting and hoping to get a bike he desperately needs. 

“I have been really hoping to get an e-bike in this rebate cycle,” Laws said. “My coworker Paul got one last year, and it changed his life, man. I do not have a solid form of transportation, and being able to get one today? It’s just impossible, man. There are so many people trying to get them, and the city does not have enough for all of us. I don’t know. Hopefully, this is the year.”

Along with the city’s rebate program and MOC efforts, the second, and arguably only other, reliable e-bike library provided for Montbello residents comes from the Northeast Transportation Connections or NETC. The nonprofit has free e-bike libraries strategically located across the Globeville, Elyria and Swansea neighborhoods, offering convenient access through a user-friendly bike-sharing program. Members can borrow e-bikes, helmets and bike locks, keeping them for up to 48 hours before renewal. NETC also provides comprehensive e-bike safety training, road rules and route assistance.