Columbus, OH, August 24, 2018 – The Columbus Division of Police’s Bike Patrol has deployed six custom e-bikes funded by the Smart Columbus Electrification Program to help officers better serve Columbus. The e-bikes’ pedal-assist electric motor enables officers to travel more quickly—up to 28 miles per hour—and arrive at calls while conserving energy for their work. 

The $16,580 eBike deployment is funded by the $10 million grant awarded to Columbus by the Paul G. Allen Philanthropies as the winner of the Smart City Challenge. Through the grant, Smart Columbus is working to increase adoption of electric vehicles and alternative modes of transportation, like e-bikes, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions created by vehicles in the seven-county region.  

“Bike patrols have been shown to help our officers create better connections with the residents they serve, which has in turn helped to curb violent crime. These bikes will provide a valuable resource that will not only foster sustainability but help keep our community and residents safer,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. 

Five e-bikes were deployed in the Downtown area. The sixth is being used on the West Side.

“Our thanks go to Smart Columbus for allowing our officers to test the concept last fall, giving feedback that is crucial to any law enforcement agency that is considering the use of e-bikes,” said Chief of Police Kim Jacobs. “These new e-bikes allow our officers to arrive to an incident faster and better prepared to handle whatever they encounter. They also allow our officers to be more visible by covering more area due to the speed and ability to cross different types of terrain.”

The Trek Powerfly e-bikes were outfitted with police lights, radios and heavy-duty brakes by Trek Bicycle Columbus Dublin to help serve the special needs of the officers. 

“We’re excited that our bikes are going to be used in a way that helps the Columbus community become healthier and safer,” said Eric Bjorling Trek Brand Manager. “Perfectly suited for police work, electric bikes will help Columbus police officers cover longer distances in a shorter amount of time while allowing them to conserve the energy their job requires. Electric bikes address many of the barriers people have to riding and will be a tremendous asset to the officers that use them.” 

Editor’s note: Photos of the CPD Bike Patrol officers on the new e-bikes available upon request.

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About Smart Columbus
The City of Columbus’ Smart Columbus plan won the U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) $40 million Smart City Challenge in June 2016 after competing against 77 cities nationwide to become the country’s first city to fully integrate innovative technologies – self-driving cars, connected vehicles and smart sensors – into its transportation network. Columbus was also awarded an additional $10 million grant from the Paul G. Allen Philanthropies to accelerate the transition to an electrified, low-emissions transportation system. Aligned investments totaling more than $500 million have been made by the private, public and academic institutions in the region to support technology and infrastructure investments that upgrade Columbus' transportation network and help make Columbus the model connected city of the future. Smart Columbus is a regional smart city initiative co-led by the City of Columbus and Columbus Partnership that includes partnerships with The Ohio State University, Battelle, American Electric Power and many more. 

For more information, visit the Smart Columbus website, www.smart.columbus.gov.