Money Talks $$$ – How Financial Incentives In Denver Are Getting More People on Bikes

In an innovative experiment to boost cycling, Denver invested $442,000 to test a simple question:

Would paying people to cycle change their transportation habits?

The answer appears to be yes.

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Denver Streets Partnership Initiative

The Denver Streets Partnership (DSP), one of several community groups involved in the initiative, has released promising initial results from their 101 participants – selected from an impressive pool of 1,400 applicants.

“The bottom line is, yes, financial incentives can help people switch their daily habits, from driving for a standard trip to biking,” said Jill Locantore, the head of the Denver Streets Partnership.

The program, funded through a voter-approved Climate Protection Fund sales tax, tested three different approaches: straight cash rewards ($1 per mile, up to 200 miles), bicycle subsidies with training, or a combination of both.

While the per-mile payment group clocked the highest mileage, those receiving both financial incentives and training showed the most sustainable behavioral changes in their commuting patterns.

The three-month trial, running from April through June, demonstrated that monetary motivation could be a powerful tool for transforming urban transportation habits.

Additional results from other participating organizations, including the Montbello Organizing Committee and the West Corridor Transportation Management Association, are expected in the coming weeks.

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Opinions Are Mostly Positive

We trawled Reddit to see what cyclists had to say. Opinions differed (that’s the wonderful world of Reddit in a nutshell)!

Many users highlighted the effectiveness of direct financial incentives. One commenter, was particularly impressed:

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Others pointed out that cycling incentives help level the playing field with drivers:

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And some users emphasized that cycling has intrinsic benefits beyond financial incentives:

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But Some Concerns Were Raised

There were users who pointed out that incentives alone might not be enough.

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This suggests that even with extensive support, personal preferences still play a significant role in commuting choices.

Over to you, what do you think about financial incentives for cycling? Would they motivate you to bike more often?