They’re ubiquitous on the streets and bike paths of Davis. But they’re also the bane of many a Davis resident who finds one parked haphazardly, abandoned in the middle of a sidewalk, blocking the way of pedestrians. They are JUMP bikes, and they’ve been in Davis since May 2018.

Now the city is seeking input from Davis residents and folks who work in Davis on the topic of JUMP bike parking. A nine-minute, online survey is available through July 26 at https://cityofdavis.org/bikes to provide input on the types of JUMP bike parking residents want in their neighborhoods.

The survey includes three options:

* Allowing JUMP bikes to park perpendicular to the curb anywhere vehicle parking is permitted;
* Allowing JUMP bike parking in designated on-street painted parking areas; and
* Allowing JUMP bike parking in on-street parking areas with bike racks.

There are currently 200 electric-assist bike share JUMP bikes being used in the city of Davis and on the UC Davis campus but with demand so high locally, JUMP — a private, for-profit business — wants to expand to 700 bikes locally.

The city acknowledges that despite the popularity of the program here, challenges exist.

“The city of Davis regularly receives complaints about JUMP riders parking JUMP bikes on sidewalks, pathways and blocking access ramps,” a city press released issued Tuesday noted. “The city Bike Share Ordinance requires that JUMP bikes be locked to bike racks. However, outside of the downtown, bike parking is limited.”

The city hopes community input via the online survey will help inform any decision on which parking options to test in a one-year pilot project. After a year, the city would evaluate the effectiveness of the parking option used and whether JUMP bike parking satisfaction has improved.

“(The) City Council looks forward to the survey results to better understand residents’ neighborhood JUMP bike parking preferences to promote and encourage people in Davis to ride JUMP bikes” said Mayor Brett Lee.

To use a JUMP bike, sign up for the Uber phone application to locate a bicycle, scan the QR code on the bicycle and then ride. JUMP has several membership plans for riders and the option to pay by the minute.  Information about how to sign-up for JUMP can be found at JUMP.com.

To report a JUMP bike parked improperly, contact JUMP bikes at 1-833-300-6106. A “JUMP Tech” will ask for the bike identification number, which is located on the back of the bicycle.

By Anne Ternus-Bellamy