It’s no secret that Hoboken + Jersey City both have a lot of traffic, which can increase the likelihood of accidents — not to mention the inconvenience it poses. Hoboken + Jersey City have been working on a series of initiatives as part of the Vision Zero Action Plan to eliminate all traffic-related deaths by the year 2030 and make safer streets for everyone. So far, this has included changes in Hoboken like lowering the city-wide speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph, which went into effect in September. In an effort to decrease traffic and increase safety, the latest collaborative effort between the two cities is a new protected bike lane running along Marin Boulevard and Henderson Street, connecting 18th Street in Jersey City to Observer Highway in Hoboken. Mayors Ravi Bhalla and Steven Fulop announced this week that this bike lane has officially been completed — and it includes a high-visibility traffic separator curb, flexible bollards, and Endurablend surface to provide high visibility and traction for bikers. Read on to learn about the brand new protected bike lane connecting Hoboken + Jersey City.
A Bike Lane from Hoboken to Jersey City
Before this week, cyclists biking between Hoboken and Jersey City have had to face some dangerous biking conditions. Now, a brand new protected bike lane — which was the result of a collaboration between the two cities — has been completed + aims to provide a convenient and safe solution for bikers. This bikeway connects 18th Street in Jersey City to Observer Highway in Hoboken, and it was officially finished as of November 14th.
“Jersey City and Hoboken are among the most unique and busiest transportation hubs in the country, and this new bikeway linking our two cities is the latest step in expanding Jersey City’s growing network of protected bikeways to provide greater connectivity and safety for our residents and beyond,” Mayor Steven Fulop said in a press release.
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According to the press release, this brand new bikeway includes a new high-visibility traffic separator curb, flexible bollards, and Endurablend surface to help provide high visibility and traction for all bikers. The idea was to create both a safe and convenient option for bikers who travel between Jersey City and Hoboken daily — whether it be to commute to work or just for fun.
“Hoboken is committed to creating safer streets for all modes of transportation, and this protected bikeway is the latest example of that,” Mayor Bhalla commented. “We are proud to work hand-in-hand with Jersey City to better protect bicycle riders as they travel between our cities, and work toward our respective Vision Zero goals to eliminate traffic deaths and injuries.”
What’s more, this project is also part of the plan to have residents choose more environmentally-friendly modes of transportation in accordance with both cities’ climate action plans. Last year, Jersey City and Hoboken partnered to launch a unified bike share system with Lyft’s Citi Bike to provide better connectivity between the two communities. According to the press release, since the partnership launched in 2021, users have taken over 180,329 rides between both cities, accounting for 13 percent of total ridership.
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“Creating protected bike lanes is a proven way to keep people safe and to reduce traffic violence, especially for people who set out on foot, on transit, on Citi Bike — or all three. The Marin Boulevard redesign in Jersey City and Hoboken will make this stretch of road safer for cyclists of all ages and abilities,” Laura Fox, General Manager of Citi Bike at Lyft, said.
In addition to the protected bikeway, the project also incorporates improvements for pedestrians and drivers — including the repainting of high-visibility crosswalks, as well as new extended turn lanes onto Newark Street and Observer Highway in Hoboken. The extended turning lanes will increase the number of cars that can line up along Marin Boulevard and Henderson Street when entering Hoboken, which is expected to provide a small improvement in traffic flow. Any improvement to traffic is a win in Hudson County.
At this time, Jersey City and Hoboken are two of the only municipalities in New Jersey to have adopted Vision Zero initiatives, per the press release.
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