September 22, 2020: Three weeks on from the relaunch of shared bikes in the Sacramento region, the reception has been welcoming. 

Lime, which recently took over Uber’s JUMP-branded bike share and scooter business, started operations on August 29 in Sacramento and West Sacramento and is working with the City of Davis to relaunch shared bikes there soon. Lime began with 200 bikes across the two cities and will ramp up to 600 bikes based on rider demand. 

Before Covid-19 forced a shutdown of shared mobility devices, Sacramento had been JUMP’s second-best-performing market in the world, after Paris, and local Lime ridership is growing as the relaunch rolls out. Trips per bike almost doubled from the first week of the launch to the third.  

Karla Owunwanne, Lime’s director of government relations, noted that the per-bike growth came even as the company was increasing its fleet size and during weeks of unhealthy air in the region due to wildfires.   

“During the opening weekend, the average bike ride was 28 minutes long and riders traveled an average of 1.8 miles per bicycle trip. Lime looks forward to expanding bike share throughout the region, and is encouraged to see the community benefit from their environmentally friendly multimodal fleet,” she said. Lime is sending more bikes to Sacramento that should arrive next week. 

The late-August relaunch was welcomed by riders. “Yes, I don’t need a car,” Heather Mewton of Midtown Sacramento told KCRA. “I literally was like, ‘OK, now I have somehow to get around Sacramento without walking in the heat.’” 

Civic leaders were also pleased to see the return. “Welcome back to one of our urban core’s most popular transportation innovations,” said West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon. “More and more of our residents and visitors are getting around now on foot or by pedal, and scooters and bikeshare are key part of that climate-friendly micromobility portfolio.” 

“This system is an important part of our regional strategy to provide healthy alternatives to automobiles, to improve air quality, and to achieve our climate goals,” said Lucas Frerichs, SACOG chair and Davis vice mayor. 

The JUMP bikes are available through the Lime and Uber apps. The Regional Bike Share Policy Steering Committee (PSC), a committee convened by SACOG and city partners, approved the assignment of JUMP’s agreement to Lime to return bike share to the streets quickly. It is exploring the potential of a longer-term agreement with Lime while also analyzing other options for bike share in the region to ensure it remains an equitable and reliable transportation mode for people.  

After September 30 the walk-up price will increase to $1 to unlock and 32 cents a minute, which aligns with other shared mobility operator prices in the region. The PSC worked with Lime to create affordable pricing packages for low-income, essential worker, and recurring riders. Lime’s low-income program, LimeAccess, will cost $5 a year and offer free rides of 30 minutes up to five times a day. Lime also offers free rides of 30 minutes up to five times a day for public health and safety workers under its LimeAid program. Monthly plans that bring down the per trip cost for frequent riders include $59.99 for 25 trips and $49.99 for unlimited unlocks and 200 minutes.