Earlier this year, Jersey City decided to go its own way rather than join a proposed bike-sharing program with Hoboken and Weehawken. A request for proposals for the Jersey City program was issued and city officials say responses are expected back this week.
“Our priority was integrating into the New York City system,” said city spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill late last week, “so with the same pass a resident in Jersey City can grab a bike in Jersey City, use the PATH, and grab a bike on the other side in NYC without a different fee.”
Jersey City originally announced in February that it would establish the state’s first bike-sharing program with Weehawken and Hoboken. But Mayor Steven Fulop subsequently found that the system currently used by New York City called CitiBike was a more attractive option.
The Hoboken-Weehawken model may be cheaper because it uses standard bicycle racks rather than docking stations. This means Jersey City taxpayers, if sponsors cannot be found, will have to cover the nearly $3,000 per station difference in cost. New York City’s CitiBike is partially sponsored by Citigroup, which invested heavily in the program. Local officials hope to tap similar corporate sponsors with offices along the Jersey City waterfront. They tout the benefits it could have to employees who travel to and from sister offices in New York or around Hudson County.
“Our priority was integrating into the NYC system.” – Jennifer Morrill
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CitiBike also has name recognition. Jersey City officials hope that using a similar system will make New Yorkers will see Jersey City as a viable destination for social activities, and encourage tourists and others to cross the Hudson River and use bicycles to visit destinations here such as Liberty State Park.
Jersey City hopes to launch the program with as many as 600 bicycles.
A change of plans
The City Council voted to approve the joint agreement between the three cities last March. That would have given a five-year contract to NJ Bikeshare LLC to build and operate a joint system through the three waterfront towns. While not the first program in the state, it was to be the largest.
The program would have called for a yearly membership of about $90 and would be largely geared towards residents of the city as an alternative mode of transport in a city where traffic jams are common – in particular downtown and along the waterfront.
Fulop opted out of the joint program with Hoboken and Weehawken over the summer, and decided to push for a model that was more closely-aligned with the New York City program. Part of this, according to several council members, was to avoid many of the problems associated with programs that start from scratch.
While CitiBike has had issues with its docking stations –they reportedly jammed from time to time – and with stolen bicycles, the program, which began operation with a reported 6,000 bikes in May 2013, has also been able to work out many of the kinks. The hope is if it is established in Jersey City, the program will run more smoothly from the start.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.