Sacramento – Social Bicycles will launch its electric-assist JUMP bike share program in Davis, Sacramento, and West Sacramento on May 15, 2018. JUMP will open with 300 electric-assist bikes (e-bikes), and will add an additional 600 during the summer. The 900 e-bikes will be owned and operated by Social Bicycles (SoBi), which currently operates the Tower Bridge Bike Share Preview.
 
The bike share launch is the result of a public-private partnership between SoBi, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), and the cities of Davis, Sacramento, and West Sacramento. Under this unique partnership, the Sacramento region will have the largest electric-assist bike share system in North America.
 
Bike share is a membership-based system that can be used for recreation, commuting, exercise, or other trips. It can help people get to transit stops more easily, connect to different neighborhoods, shops, restaurants, and jobs, and can help people be more active. SoBi’s e-bikes are similar to regular bikes, but they have pedal assist, allowing speeds up to 20 miles per hour. E-bikes do not operate without pedaling, but the electric assist makes it easier for people to travel longer distances in a shorter amount of time.
 
SoBi launched its first publicly-available JUMP system in Washington, D.C., in September of this year. SoBi is a technology-driven company that has consistently taken the bike share industry in new directions. In 2013, SoBi challenged the dock-based bike share systems of the time by pioneering the “smart bike,” which paired onboard active GPS with an electric lock. Today, SoBi continues to push the bike share industry forward by combining its smart bike technology with an electric pedal-assist motor.
 
SACOG and the cities of Davis, Sacramento, and West Sacramento are currently permitting the bike share hub locations and are beginning public engagement. To learn more and sign-up for information go to www.sacog.org/bike-share.