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Uber's JUMP Bike program more accessible for low-income earners

Sacramento's JUMP Bike program has a cheaper plan available for those in need of financial assistance.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Since May, JUMP Bikes have been helping residents of Sacramento get around town.

You may have noticed those red bikes around town. Its the creation of the ride-sharing company Uber. With JUMP Bikes riders can pay to borrow a bike to ride around town.

People can pay $30 a month to have a free hour a day and $0.07 a minute after that. Riders can also use the pay-as-you-go option, which would cost around $4.15 for one hour for one day. All those costs are before taxes are applied.

JUMP also implemented a program to help the near 14.1 percent of Sacramento residents that are living below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Nick Smith, an Uber spokesperson, said that people can pay $5 to sign up for the JUMP Boost Plan, that gives a rider an hour of bike usage. If the rider was using this plan they could save around $20 - $100 a month on the bike-share program.

People that are eligible for SMUD Energy Assistance Program, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), PG&E CARE, and Cal Fresh can participate in the JUMP Boost Plan.

Smith said that the JUMP Boost Plan allows for low-income earning riders to spend less on transportation costs. Transportation costs can represent a quarter of disposable income for low-income earners, according to a study from California State University, Sacramento.

RELATED: JUMP Bikes nearly doubles service area, expanding to south Sacramento

Smith said that transportation can play a role in helping people avoid homelessness and combat poverty. Since launching in May 2018, more than 120 Boost riders have taken more than 2,400 total trips, with each trip averaging about two miles per trip, according to Smith.

People interested in this plan can enroll by scanning and sending documentation of participation in one of the assistance programs listed above to support@jump.com with “Sacramento Boost Documentation” in the subject line.

Although the fee to ride the bike is cheaper with the Boost Plan, there are several fees for things like parking the bike out of Sacramento, or losing the bike lock, that cost the same as with all other plans.

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