Montgomery County buys its first e-bikes

Until this month, Montgomery County had 470 pedal bikes that few people seemed interested in riding.

Now, 70% of all rentals from Capital Bikeshare, the nation’s largest municipally owned bikeshare system, are e-bikes, according to Emily DeTitta, spokesperson for the county’s Department of Transportation.

“E-bikes are really what people look for, I think, to get places faster,” she said.

Prince George’s County owns a fleet. So does the District. Montgomery County began rolling out its recently purchased e-bikes this month and now has 70 on the streets, docked at some of the county’s 80 bikeshare stations.

The 70 bikes and 35 batteries (one for every two bikes) cost the county about $262,000.

“This investment will boost availability, and we know they are very popular and will help a lot of residents get around easier,” said County Executive Marc Elrich.

The county has also applied for a state grant that would allow it to add 55 more e-bikes to its fleet, DeTitta said.

Capital Bikeshare, which the county joined more than a decade ago, set a new record in 2025 with more than 6.6 million trips, a 9% increase year over year.

Growth in Montgomery County has been steeper: ridership more than doubled within two years, from 102,000 rides in 2023 to more than 224,000 rides in 2025, said Chris Conklin, the director of the county’s transportation department.

More e-bike riders, county officials say, will get people out of their cars and improve our air quality.

A 15-minute rental currently costs about $2.25 for Capital Bikeshare members and $6.25 for nonmembers. The county’s “Capital Bikeshare for All” program offers qualifying residents a $5 per year membership and $40 in monthly credits.

E-bikes can be rented through the Capital Bikeshare app by scanning the QR code located on the bike.