Docking stations for the new Jersey City bicycle sharing program are cropping up around the city like mushrooms. This may well be a sign of a potentially successful program for the city, but for some county officials, they were a surprise.
“Nobody told us that they were going to be installing these on county property,” said Freeholder Bill O’Dea, complaining at the Sept. 8 Hudson County Board of Freeholders Caucus about a station that appeared at a location at St. Aloysius Church near Lincoln Park.
In fairness, the City Council this week did vote to approve a request to allow the bike stations to be located on property controlled by the county, but in some cases, this was after they were installed.
O’Dea said the bike stations have appeared on a number of county roads but that the freeholders were never notified.
“I’m not sure the business owners were either, and I would like to find out if that’s the case,” he said.
O’Dea wants to know how these stations got put up without authorization.
“How did these get installed without anyone knowing?” he asked. “I’m not saying it’s bad to have this there. Maybe it makes sense. But this should have gone before the appropriate committee and discussed before they were installed.”
“How did these get installed without anyone knowing?” – Bill O’Dea
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O’Dea said he was concerned about the impact these stations might have when located outside businesses.
“As far as the park is concerned, if someone had asked, we might have come up with a better location and not in a pedestrian area,” O’Dea said, noting that he’s not opposed to the bike program. “To Mayor Fulop’s credit, there are more bike lanes on many streets, and that is good.”
After the fact request
Meanwhile across town at the Jersey City Council caucus on Sept. 8, Councilman Khemraj Chico Ramchal, who represents the west side of Jersey City, raised the issue as well.
The council was discussing a resolution that would approve a licensing agreement with the county that would allow bike share vendors to put docking stations on county controlled property.
Ramchal said officials from the bike share program should have come to a meeting to let council members know where these would be installed, and perhaps get input from the community.
Representatives from the city’s bike share program said the locations were on record for more than a month.
Councilman Richard Boggiano also raised questions about a similar station located near Pavonia and Baldwin avenues that is situated on a corner with a nursing home and a church.
Councilwoman Joyce Watterman said she did not agree with having these stations near churches.
The locations for these stations was based on a review done by Citibike. The stations can be removed if they pose problems.
Councilwoman Diane Coleman said she also raised concerns about a similar station located near the Hudson Bergen Light Rail Station on Danforth Avenue.
The city will review each station to make certain that they were installed as planned, city officials said.
Bicycles could create safety concerns
While bikes provided by the bike share program have a number of safety devices, council members raised concerns about safety as a result of so many more bicycles being used around the city.
Boggiano questioned insurance coverage and noted that a number of people riding bicycles often fly off sidewalks in front of cars, or drive the wrong way on one way streets, posing hazards for drivers and pedestrians.
“If someone gets into an accident because of a bicycle, that person shouldn’t be responsible,” he said. “Some bicycles are even motorized. There have to be rules.”
Coleman said many bike riders at night aren’t visible to drivers. While the bike share bicycles have lights, many privately owned bicycles do not.
City Attorney Jeremy Farrell said bicycles are government by motor vehicle laws, and that the council has the power to tighten the rules to deal with safety concerns.
“Someone riding a bicycle must follow the same rules as a motorist,” Farrell said. “Public Safety department can enforce these rules. As for insurance, Citibike has general liability. No insurance is required for other bicycles. But if they cause an accident, the rider of a bicycle can be held as liable.”
Trouble with parking
The City Council has set up a committee to deal with conflicting and over-restrictive parking regulations in the aftermath of the Police Department’s takeover of the duties of the former Parking Authority.
Earlier this year, the council dissolved the Parking Authority. But many of the regulations that were in place don’t match up with the police regulations, or may be too odious. In one case, a minor traffic infraction could not only result in a fine, but up to five days in jail.
At the public portion of the Sept. 9 City Council meeting, Board of Education member Gerald Lyons said he had received a ticket for parking without a proper parking permit, and then was booted. He said he not only had to pay the fine for the ticket, but also paid to have the boot removed. Because he paid by credit card over the telephone, he was also assessed another charge.
“I paid my fines, but I think this is wrong and should be changed,” he said.
Councilwoman Candice Osborne, who is on the committee looking into changing some of these regulations, agreed with him. “There will be a lot of changes,” she said.
One of the rules that many people are not aware of came to light at this meeting. Residents who live in buildings of five units or more that provide off street parking are banned from parking on city streets for more than two hours.
Although that law has been in effect since 2006, many people are unaware of it, including people who formerly operated the Parking Authority.
Yyonne Balcer, a resident of a building with off street parking, said she has been denied a permit.
“I was issued a permit in the past,” she said.
She said this change means that she cannot go to the doctors or other appointments that might take longer than two hours.
Osborne said the law has been in effect for years, but many landlords and developers failed to inform residents moving into these buildings. The council voted to require notice be given before someone rents or purchases a unit.
Boggiano disagreed with the restriction, saying that many of these people pay high taxes and should have a right to park on the street. He noted that in some cases, repairs to parking areas in these buildings require tenants to park on the street.
Osborne said the committee can change the law, but in the meantime, residents of these buildings should be warned.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.