December 23, 2020 - British Columbia’s new Minister of State for Infrastructure travels around her riding by e-bike. Bowinn Ma, who is also the Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for North Vancouver-Lonsdale and a licensed Professional Engineer, traded in her gas-powered vehicle for an electric cargo bike in 2019.
“Given the climate emergency, my partner and I wanted to go down to having one vehicle,” said Minister Ma in a phone interview. “We went from having two gas powered vehicles, to having one electric vehicle and one e-bike, and generally it has been very positive.”
At the time, BC’s Scrap-It program offered an $850 rebate off an e-bike when you traded in an old vehicle. The provincial government has since increased this rebate to $1,050.
Since making the switch, Minister Ma has been travelling around her riding on a Tern GSD F10 e-cargo bike, which she purchased at local bike shop Cit-E-Cycles.
“I purposely chose a bike where I can sit upright because it improved my ability to do shoulder checks,” says Minister Ma. “It was also really important to have an e-cargo bike because I haul a lot of gear day-to-day.”
With a busy MLA schedule in a riding with a hilly geography and rainy climate, Minister Ma uses a large crate to carry supplies like signs, extra binders and outreach materials. A strong e-assist to climb hills was a must, and her e-cargo bike also has covered gears and chains, as well as good fenders to deal with the rain.
Minister Ma also carries a rain kit everywhere, which includes a poncho, gloves, a reflective vest and a homemade face shield attached to her helmet with velcro that helps her to stay dry while cycling. Although COVID-19 has meant fewer events and in-person meetings, Minister Ma still commutes regularly to her office by e-bike.
When we spoke, Minister Ma noted the additional barriers that women are more likely to face, and the expectation that exists to show up at meetings and events looking “presentable” in skirts, high heels and makeup. While not all outfits are suitable for cycling, Ma spoke about how more clothes work on a bike than she initially expected, and has posted on Twitter about how lowering your seat height can help while pedalling in skirts.
Minister Ma also noted that, while e-biking has been a great way to engage with her community, get exercise and avoid being stuck in traffic, switching to an e-bike doesn’t mean cycling needs to work for every trip.
“There’s this impression that you need to be 100% committed to cycling all the time, and that’s not the case. Cycling is about expanding the options available to you. Sometimes I bike, but I also walk, take transit, drive and use taxis.”
In addition to the Scrap-It e-bike rebate program, BC has recently introduced a pilot program that provides businesses with a rebate up to $1,700 on the purchase of up to five e-cargo bikes. They’ve also released an Active Transportation Strategy that aims to double the amount of active transportation over the next 10 years.
As we wrapped up our conversation, Minister Ma spoke about the important connections between walking, cycling and transit and how TransLink – the authority responsible for the regional transportation network in Metro Vancouver – has been investing in active transportation connections to transit and things like bike lockers at major transit hubs.
Minister Ma’s new mandate letter as Minister of State for Infrastructure includes working with the TransLink Mayors’ Council and overseeing the implementation of several other projects that impact cycling.
