Uber Partners With City Of Santa Cruz On Ebike Commuting Program

From the City of Santa Cruz:

Santa Cruz, Calif. - October 1, 2019 - Today, Uber announced that it is partnering with the City of Santa Cruz on a first-of-a-kind program that will see the City subsidize JUMP ebike trips to and from the city’s central business district.

As part of the program, the City of Santa Cruz will give downtown employees promo codes that qualifying residents can apply to get a $2 discount on up to 60 trips taken on JUMP bikes. To receive a code, riders will first create a RideAmigos account via a link provided by the city. After creating an account, they can get a code from JUMP by showing proof of employment in the central business district*. Once they establish proof and receive a code, they can add the code to the trip before the ride starts to receive a discount.

“Since starting our partnership with JUMP, Santa Cruz riders have taken over 500,000 trips, riding over one million miles. We’re ecstatic to offer our downtown workforce more car-free options for moving around our community," said Claire Fliesler, Transportation Planner and Bike Share Program Manager, City of Santa Cruz.

In total, Santa Cruz will spend $40,000 on more than 650 codes, and expects residents to exhaust the supply of codes before the end of the year. By moving more residents onto ebikes, JUMP and the City of Santa Cruz will increase commute options while helping to reduce congestion by removing cars from the road.

In addition to the promo codes, JUMP has installed three charging stations located at the downtown Santa Cruz Metro Station, the intersection of Soquel Avenue and Cayuga Street, and the Wharf Roundabout. The stations will allow up to 48 ebikes to be charged simultaneously.

JUMP launched in Santa Cruz on May 8, 2018, and has since expanded its presence there with over 500 bikes on the street. Trips cost $1 to unlock and $.15 per minute thereafter. JUMP also offers a Boost plan at a cost of $5 for the first 12 months and $5 per month after that. With Boost, riders get access to 60 minutes of ride time per day.

“We’ve already seen that JUMP has had a measurable impact on mode shift in San Francisco, helping riders replace car trips with bike rides, and we’re excited to partner with the City of Santa Cruz to try to drive a similar impact," said Eddie Chen, General Manager for Northern California, JUMP.

*Promo code is valid for new or existing JUMP riders for up to $2 off each of your first 60 JUMP rides in the Santa Cruz, CA JUMP zone indicated in your app, and expires 90-days after redemption. You will be charged the local per minute rate after the $2 per ride is used up, or after you exceed 60 trips. One-time use per person in a 90-day period. To activate the promo code in the Uber or JUMP app, new users add the code to the payment screen after you tap Reserve or Scan for your ride; existing users click to change their payment method and enter the promo code on the payment selection screen. Offer is non-transferable and has no cash value. Offer and terms are subject to change.

This press release was produced by the City of Santa Cruz. The views expressed here are the author’s own.