Citi Bike is expanding to a third city in our region, and will be available in Hoboken starting in May, according to Mayor Ravi. S. Bhalla, who announced the expansion on Thursday.
While all forms of mass transit saw a precipitous, and in some cases near ruinous decline during the pandemic, Citi Bike saw an increase in users early on. Experts cite a concern about using mass transit because of the pandemic, although the concerns weren’t based on scientific evidence.
Hoboken’s program will launch on May 3rd with 15 stations and about 200 bikes, according to the mayor’s office. Users with a membership in New York City or Jersey City will also be able to use the Hoboken bikes. The docks will include regular bikes and the company’s latest e-bikes.
“This is a big step toward continuing to grow Citi Bike’s role as a truly regional bike share program that meets the first- and last-mile commute needs of New Jersey residents, who often have bikeshare transportation needs on both sides of the Hudson,” Laura Fox, General Manager for Citi Bike at Lyft, wrote in a statement on Mayor Bhalla’s web page.
Citi Bike has been in Jersey City since 2015. Just last month, Mayor Steven Fulop of Jersey City inked a deal with the bike share company to expand with 15 new stations, in neighborhoods including Greenville, West Side, and The Heights.
In 2016, Hoboken almost contracted with Citi Bike, but instead went with the company JerseyBike. That contract expired last fall, and Hoboken has been without a bike share system since October.
Phil Cohen, a member of the Hoboken City Council who serves on the transportation committee, said he’s used to hearing vigorous debates on transit issues, but when it came to bringing Citi Bike to Hoboken, the response was unanimously positive.
“Lot of excitement, I’ve gotten a lot of congratulatory messages,” Cohen told Gothamist/WNYC. “In Hoboken, probably like New York City when you have council meetings, you have a variety of opinions on a variety of issues. Last night at our council meeting it was 100 percent public members speaking in favor about the Citi Bike contract.”
The move to expand bike shares comes as more people are getting the coronavirus vaccine, but it remains unclear when regular commuting habits will resume. Cohen said before the pandemic, about 10,000 Hoboken residents commute to New York City, many of whom he said are already Citi Bike members. “For them, this will be a seamless transition.”
Citi Bike is in the process of doubling the number of available bikes in New York City, to 40,000 bikes by 2023, with an expanded footprint in areas not currently served in the Bronx, Upper Manhattan, Queen and Brooklyn.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen more people turn to biking and walking as safe, sustainable forms of travel. Now, as the weather turns warmer and we begin to re-open communities, it is a perfect time to expand bikeshare in Hoboken and other communities across the region,” Nat Bottigheimer, New Jersey Director at the Regional Plan Association, wrote to Gothamist/WNYC. “Ensuring everyone can bike around safely is good for our economies, our climate and our health.”
