Are you a teacher in D.C. biking to work? You can get your money back for that.
The District’s Department of Transportation is offering a $200 reimbursement for District teachers or staff who recently purchased a bicycle used for commuting to and from work or plan to buy one.
DDOT’s Get Paid to Pedal program launched in May 2021 and has already reimbursed 145 District school staff throughout 90 public, charter and private schools.
“The initiative is part of our goDCgo bike incentive program, intended to encourage biking as a primary commute mode and ease the cost of owning a bike for District school staff,” DDOT Director Everett Lott told WTOP in a statement.
A recent survey by DDOT found that 78% percent of school staff drive to work and very few own a bike.
School staff do not have to be D.C. residents, and bicycles can be purchased at any retailer, but not from third-party sites such as Facebook or Craigslist. Proof of purchase is required.
DDOT Director Everett Lott told WTOP that the program could be expanded depending on funding, but there are only 15 spots left in this round of the program, so you’ll have to act quickly.
Participants who receive the $200 Visa gift card will be asked to fill out several short surveys over the year on their riding habits.
DDOT opened the bike incentive to all District residents last month, but funding for that program ran out. On their website, they say they plan to reopen that broader bike incentive program again later this year.
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