Continuing the integration of the two cities’ bike systems, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop and Hoboken Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla have announced the completion of a new protected bikeway along Marin Boulevard and Henderson Street, connecting 18th Street in Jersey City to Observer Highway in Hoboken.
The connection is being touted as part of “Vision Zero,” which seeks to create safer streets and eliminate traffic deaths and injuries and as a step in furtherance of both cities’ climate action plans.
“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,” said Mayor Fulop.
Added Mayor Bhalla “Hoboken is committed to creating safer streets for all modes of transportation, and this protected bikeway is the latest example of that.”
The new protected bikeway, created with a new high-visibility traffic separator curb, flexible bollards, and Endurablend surface to provide high visibility and traction, should, according to the mayors, yield a safe, and accessible option for bicycle riders who travel between Jersey City and Hoboken to reach major public transportation hubs, places of employment, as well as shopping and dining destinations.
In 2020, 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 mayors, since the partnership launched in 2021, users have taken over 180,329 rides between both cities, accounting for 13 percent of total ridership.
“We applaud Hoboken, Jersey City, and Hudson County for installing this much needed protected bike lane to connect our cities,” said Chris Adair of Bike Hoboken.
“For years, cyclists traveling between Jersey City and Hoboken faced dangerous and intimidating roadway conditions to reach their destinations. The new protected bike lane on Marin Boulevard provides a long overdue safe connection between the growing bike lane networks of our neighboring cities,” added Ayla Schermer, President of Bike JC.
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 queuing capacity along Marin Boulevard and Henderson Street when entering Hoboken, which is expected to provide a small improvement in traffic flow.
According to mayors, these Vision Zero improvements seek to remove the corridor from Hoboken’s and Jersey City’s “High Crash Networks” as identified in each respective city’s Vision Zero Action Plans. Jersey City and Hoboken are two of the only municipalities in New Jersey to have adopted Vision Zero initiatives, they say.
Both mayors gave credit to Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise and Commissioner Anthony Romano for collaborating on the project.