> I looked into an e-bike but it seemed to make more sense to get a motorcycle. The bike, title transfer, helmet and some gloves wound up being less than $3k.

In the long run, the motorcycle will likely cost more than the bike, considering gas, insurance, and maintenance expenses.

Also, for 6 miles, it might not be worth to have an e-bike. I do ~17km round trip on a so-called "fitness bike", and after some training I go faster than e-bikes. :)

> I also decided it was probably safer to ride with traffic at 35-40mph than be riding on the side of the road at 20mph tops.

This is a good point. I chose a longer trip, but way safer with separated lanes for cycles.

Disclaimer: I rode motorcycles for ~10 years, now I'm full bicycle for commuting, and we use a long-tail e-bike to carry the kids around the city. We still have a car for family WE trips (main blocker!) and weekly groceries.