The Jersey City and Hoboken bike-share programs that were once separate entities are working to officially become one.
“Both Hoboken and Jersey City are leaders in advancing alternative transportation options, and we are thrilled to partner together to utilize the same regional bike share program for our cities,” a joint statement from both Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said.
In the past, Hoboken and Jersey City both ran separate bike-share programs with different operators. While it provided opportunities for sustainable travel in individual municipalities, it did not allow for people to commute between Jersey City and Hoboken since they did not both operate the same bike-share.
It often resulted in Citi Bikes in the Jersey Bikes’ docking stations and vice versa.
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Now, Jersey City and Hoboken have announced that they will join forces to provide one bike share provider for both cities.
The press release continues:
By choosing one bike share company for both cities, Mayor Bhalla and Mayor Fulop seek to achieve greater regional connectivity and mobility within both cities, making it easier for residents and visitors to travel within the two communities. A number of residents within Hoboken and Jersey City regularly commute to and from both cities, and a regional bike share option will provide easier access to employment opportunities and improve both cities regional economies.
Previously, Jersey City operated Citi Bike, while the Mile Square had chosen Jersey Bike. While no announcement has been made as to which same bike-share Hoboken and Jersey City will choose, it’s worth noting that Citi Bike and Jersey Bike are both contenders.
After all, New York City operates the Citi Bike bike-share, therefore allowing bicyclists to take their rides into Manhattan and Jersey Bike has docking stations in Bayonne, Guttenberg, North Bergen, Weehawken, and West New York.
While both certainly seem like strong candidates, it’s also quite possible that a totally different bike-share program be chosen. For now, the mayors announced that they will be releasing a request for proposal {RFP} for any companies that are interested in becoming the face of the joint bike-share program.
The joint press release adds:
A regional bike share company will also help advance safer, alternative transportation options, a central component of both cities’ Vision Zero campaigns to eliminate pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries within 10 years or less. Jersey City and Hoboken are two of the most bike-friendly communities in New Jersey, with a combined 75 miles of protected bike lanes, conventional bike lanes, and shared lanes.
This news of a joint bike-share program between the Mile Square and Jersey City comes on the heels of Jersey City announcing it will add five more protected bike lanes to its streets. Currently, Jersey City has at least nine miles of protected lanes throughout Grove Street, Washington Boulevard, Bergen Avenue, and Montgomery Street.
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These new five lanes — which officials say will be completed by winter 2020 — will add extensions to Grand Street, Montgomery Street, and Columbus Drive. New lanes will also be added northbound on Marin Boulevard from 18th Street to the border of the Mile Square, as per Jersey Digs.
Increasing residents’ access to sustainable forms of transportation and is part of both cities’ Vision Zero campaigns, which seek to eliminate all pedestrian fatalities and injuries within the next 10 years.
Additionally, this bike-share news also comes shortly after Hoboken Councilman Mike DeFusco recently proposed a new plan for Hoboken’s first-ever permitted parking plan for bicycles in municipal garages. Up for first reading on Wednesday, the ordinance, “would create a permitting process with a $52 annual fee and require bicycles to display a small City of Hoboken placard, similarly to on-street residential parking regulations,” according to a press release. “Additionally, bicycles granted subsidized permits will be required to install and maintain front and rear taillights,” the release continued.
“As more residents rely on bicycles as their primary mode of transportation, it’s important for us to properly activate space within our city that reflects this shift. Sharing the street requires drivers and cyclists alike to work together and abide by the rules and the more bikes with lights on the road helps protect the safety of everyone,” Councilman Defusco added.
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