Sacramento Area Council of Governments Selects JUMP to Operate Bikeshare Program

After a series of public meetings, the Davis, California, city council approved rules for bike-sharing programs to come to Davis, Sacramento and West Sacramento. Sacramento Area Council of Governments selected JUMP to provide the first bikes but left the door open for others to enter the market.

City crews are currently counting bike racks to make sure that they can easily accommodate the bikes that JUMP will be bringing to town starting in May. If it is determined that new bike racks are needed, then JUMP will be providing up to 270 bike parking spaces. After the initial rollout, the company hopes to place up to 900 bikes throughout the region.

Input from the public is being sought on where new bike racks should be placed. The public is invited to place pins on a map where they want to see bike racks placed, and each person can place as many pins on the map as they desire.

Current plans are to place 180 bikes in Davis and on the University of California at Davis campus. Bikes will also be available on the Sacramento State University campus. The bikes will be evenly split between the University of California at Davis campus and the rest of the area. Some council members have suggested that the company needs to rethink this plan, and they are suggesting that there be two bikes placed in the area for each bike that is placed on campus.

These bikes will be electric-assist bikes. As long as a person is pedaling, an electric motor can assist the person in reaching speeds up to 15 miles per hour. While the area is relatively flat, this may help people want to use the bikes when summer’s brutal temperatures arrive. It may also help make the program more accessible to those individuals with special needs. The bikes can accommodate people weighing up to 210 pounds.

Sacramento mayor Robb Davis learned firsthand recently how simple the system is to operate. Those who want to rent a bike download an app to their phone. Then, they look at a map to locate the closest bike. Once they find a bike, they scan in a code on the bike and it unlocks. While the bikes can be left anywhere, JUMP may provide a discount for bikes returned to an authorized bike rack.

Officials are still negotiating how much it will cost to rent a JUMP bike. In many similar markets, people pay $7 for the first 30 minutes and pay an additional fee for each minute after that. Some markets also provide a monthly plan allowing riders to pay a flat fee for unlimited use during the month.