MA: $1 a day e-bikes land in Lawrence

Some people call the $1-a-day pedal- and battery-powered cycles magic carpets.

By any name, the 10 red and black e-bikes now await travel in Lawrence at the McGovern Transportation Center.

The sturdy and functional rentals — made of aluminum and weighing 70 pounds — are cabled to a rack in the center’s southeast corner between the parking garage/bus hub and the MBTA railway platform.

At the e-bike station’s launch on Tuesday, Jonathan Vandenberg, operations manager for the start-up Metro Mobility in Cambridge, demonstrated how a customer rents and uses an e-bike.

Metro has partnered with MeVa transit and the city of Lawrence — as well as regional transit operations in Lowell and Worcester — to provide the rentals at public transit centers.

Project funding, a $1.5-million grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, targets transportation programs for underserved communities.

The pilot program has put 989 e-bikes in service and they’ve logged 311,000 miles.

A nice chunk of those miles, about 5,000, were traveled by an enterprising person who found an innovative use for the bike, using it for DoorDash food deliveries in cities including Lawrence.

“He doesn’t pay for a car payment, he doesn’t pay for car insurance, he doesn’t pay for gas, he doesn’t pay for car maintenance,” said Jim Stanislaski, managing director for Clean Energy, a quasi-public agency focused on promoting clean energy.

In addition to the economic savings enjoyed by the fellow, his name is Luis, he benefits from the convenience of being able to park wherever he goes. Also, he can take the bike home at night.

People use them for a host of purposes including getting to and from transportation centers or stops.

A Lawrence beachgoer, for instance, could fasten their e-bike to the front of the Salisbury Beach bus and have transportation for a day at the beach.

The MeVa fleet of buses, by the way, are primarily diesel powered though they include a number of hybrid diesel/electric vehicles.

The e-bike rental, $1 for 24-hours, applies to income-qualifying customers including those who receive SNAP benefits or are enrolled in MassHealth medical insurance or receive rental assistance; otherwise, the price is $12 a day.

Vandenberg aimed his cellphone camera at the displayed QR code taking him to the Metro app.

A first-time user would fill out the income qualifications survey and register with Metro, the original enrollment taking about 90 minutes.

Thereafter, rentals are immediate with the app.

Vandenberg clicks a button on the app and the cable, which also serves as a battery charger, releases the bike from the rack.

Users secure the bikes with the cables throughout their travels.

David Montague, CEO of Metro Mobility, said the start-up builds bike share stations and fits out the e-bikes with smart electronics, including GPS, that allow Metro to lock and unlock and monitor the bikes’ use.

“These things are almost smarter than your average car,” Montague said.

Metro can set the e-bikes to travel at whatever speed they want.

The bikes here are set to travel at a maximum of 18 mph.

That’s a very fast clip for a runner, though the e-bike would be no match for a cheetah, which can max out at close to 80 mph, or a magic carpet which flies at an undetermined rate.