Shift your ride

Transportation was responsible for approximately 34% of 2018 community greenhouse gas emissions, including on-road vehicles, air travel, ferry travel and off-road vehicles and equipment. We can help improve the health of our environment and our community members by adding more biking and pedestrian infrastructure and promoting the use of electric vehicles. 

Electric Vehicle (EV) Car Sharing Program Coming to the Island

You may have noticed two new electric vehicle (EV) chargers in the visitor lot at City Hall!  

  • One EV charger is available for anyone with an electric vehicle to use by signing up and paying, per the directions on the charger pedestal.  One of the public EV charging parking spaces is designated as an accessible parking space, which means that only electric vehicles with a handicap placard/designation can park there while charging. 
  • One EV charger is available specifically for use by electric vehicles that are part of a new carshare program administered by ZEV co-op: https://zev.coop/. The carshare program is scheduled to launch in late May/early June 2023 so stay tuned for more information! 

Both chargers – and the new electric carshare vehicles – were paid for with grant funds from the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Zero-Emissions Access Program. Mobility for All – a non-profit advocacy group based on Bainbridge Island – was the grant recipient and is working with ZEV co-op to administer the carshare program. The City of Bainbridge Island provided parking stalls and electrical work to support both chargers and the carshare program, per actions outlined in the City’s Climate Action Plan and Sustainable Transportation Plan. The City is not otherwise involved in the carshare program and is not earning any revenue from carshare operations. Electricity use associated with charging vehicles at both chargers is paid for by ZEV co-op. To learn more about the community EV carshare program, please contact ZEV co-op at https://zev.coop/ or 833-387-4273.

  1. walk, bike and bus for low carbon travel

Shifting your transportation mode is one of the most important actions you can personally take to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions and help the Bainbridge Island community meet our climate action goals. Walking, biking and taking public transit can help you save money and significantly reduce your climate impact! 

Almost 50% of car trips are less than 3 miles long - a great distance for a bike trip! Replacing one car trip a week with a bike trip can help reduce pollution and congestion, and improve your health. If big hills are keeping you from making those short trips by bicycle, an electric bike may be a good option. Many local bicycle shops stock electric bikes (or e bikes) which can be charged in a standard outlet at your home. 

Have you tried BI Ride? BI Ride is an on-demand, shared-ride service for getting almost anywhere on Bainbridge Island. Download the Ride Pingo app, request your ride and the bus will pick you up wherever you are. No need to walk to a bus stop. Once you’ve requested a ride, the app displays a map showing the real-time location of the bus and the approximate ETA (in minutes) for when the bus will arrive at your pickup location. The $2.00 fare is payable with the Ride Pingo app, cash, or with your ORCA card.

  1. choose an Electric vehicle
  1. read the city's sustainable Transportation plan