The bike sharing company JUMP looks to expand their pilot program that began in Fordham and Tremont this summer, to another part of the Bronx and hopefully the entire borough. Expansion rests on the city Department of Transportation, which would give the bike sharing company the green light. 

For now, the DOT confirmed it has extended the program for another 90 days with the agency closing monitoring demand. The program was originally set to last for four months, but rising interest from Bronx residents prompted DOT to extend the program.

The pilot program brought 200 pedal-assist bikes to the Fordham section of the Bronx. These electric bikes help the rider pedal, making it easier and faster to get from place to place.

“Pedal-assist bikes open up biking to individuals who would not otherwise use a bike. Somebody who may need a little boost on a hill would get that with a pedal-assist bike, so we see more usage,” said Josh Gold, a lobbyist and policy and communications manager for Uber, the parent company of JUMP.

An estimated 16,000 trips have been taken using a JUMP bike in that area, and 10 percent of those who used JUMP rode the bikes three or more times a week.

The cost of riding a JUMP bike is $2 for the first thirty minutes, and then seven cents for every minute after that. Reduced rates are offered for people that qualify for benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

JUMP staffers noticed that users in other areas of the Bronx were looking for bikes on the mobile app, and thought to expand its reach, aiming to offer bikes in all of the Bronx.

“We saw tens of thousands, on a regular basis, of people opening their Uber apps in the region looking for a bike way outside our service area in the Bronx,” said Gold.

Citi Bike, another dockless bike sharing organization, launched a pilot program alongside JUMP over the summer. They also offered 200 bikes to the Central Bronx, though they were not electric. The Mayor’s office announced Citi Bike will triple the number of bikes to 40,000 over the next five years.