- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Palo Alto Pays Commuters to Bike to Work
The city's 'Bike Love' program offers $5 per day for biking to work, helping reduce emissions and traffic.
Apr. 14, 2026 at 7:58am
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
Palo Alto's innovative 'Bike Love' program pays commuters to ditch their cars and embrace two-wheeled transportation, helping reduce emissions and traffic.Palo Alto TodayThe city of Palo Alto, California has launched a program called 'Bike Love' that pays commuters $5 per day to bike to work instead of driving. The program, which runs through a mobile app called Motion, tracks trips automatically and credits participants' accounts to be spent at local businesses. The goal is to encourage more people to bike, which the city says has kept nearly 3 million car miles off local roads and cut over 1,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Why it matters
As gas prices and parking costs continue to rise, programs like 'Bike Love' provide financial incentives for commuters to choose more sustainable transportation options. By getting more people out of cars and onto bikes, the city can reduce traffic congestion and emissions while also supporting local businesses.
The details
The 'Bike Love' program pays participants $5 per day they bike to work, up to $600 per year. The program runs through the Motion app, which automatically tracks trips made by bike, e-bike, or scooter. According to Palo Alto City Council member Pat Burt, the goal is to 'get people addicted to biking' in order to improve their health and happiness while also benefiting the environment.
- The 'Bike Love' program launched in Palo Alto in 2026.
- In 2025, the program kept nearly 3 million car miles off local roads and cut more than 1,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
The players
AbdAllah Abou-Ismail
A Palo Alto resident who participates in the 'Bike Love' program, biking to work each day to earn the $5 daily credit.
Pat Burt
A Palo Alto City Council member who serves on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and helped launch the 'Bike Love' program.
Billy Riggs
A professor at the University of San Francisco who studies transportation innovation and believes the program may only target people who are already biking.
What they’re saying
“'I was like, you know what? This my reason for biking every day,'”
— AbdAllah Abou-Ismail
“'We want this to be a means where they get addicted to biking and as a result, they're healthier, mentally and physically, and happier,'”
— Pat Burt, Palo Alto City Council member
“'This is cute, it just can't be about cute solutions,'”
— Billy Riggs, Professor, University of San Francisco
What’s next
The city plans to continue monitoring the success of the 'Bike Love' program and explore ways to expand it to encourage even more commuters to choose biking over driving.
The takeaway
Programs like 'Bike Love' demonstrate how cities can provide financial incentives to shift commuter behavior and reduce the environmental impact of transportation. By making biking a more attractive option, Palo Alto is helping improve public health, support local businesses, and work towards its sustainability goals.
