New Bike Share Program Coming to Hoboken

A 6-month bike-sharing program that includes hybrid bicycle rentals and waterfront tours will roll into Hoboken next month.  

The city council on Wednesday night approved a pilot program that is scheduled to start in mid-May and last for at least six months.

Hoboken is partnering with E3Think, Bike And Roll and Social Bicycles (SoBi) to launch the nation’s first hybrid bike rental and bike share program.

There will be 45 bikes parked in the streets of Hoboken, said Patrick Hoffman of SoBi.

The city announced on Thursday that bike rentals for Hoboken residents and visitors will be available on the waterfront near Pier A for longer recreational rides. Similar to Hoboken’s Corner Cars car-sharing program, residents will also be able to reserve bikes online and by mobile phone and use them for commuting and short trips.

Some council members expressed concern about the price of the rentals — $34 for a day or $10 for the traditional hourly rental bikes — but ultimately the measure was passed unanimously.

In a press release on Thursday, Mayor Dawn Zimmer expressed her excitement about the new program.

"Hoboken has been recognized as a leader in transportation innovation," Zimmer said, "and we will continue to work to bring more sustainable, healthy, and affordable transportation alternatives to our community."

The bike share program — which would roll out around the same time as the much anticipated and heavily delayed bike share program across the river in New York City — will probably bring four "hubs" where Hobokenites can get the bikes. The pilot is supposed to be for six months, if the agreement is approved on Wednesday night. 

The proposed plan, which differs from the one in New York, wouldn't include docking stations for the bikes.

The bikes, rather, would be able to be parked in regular bike racks. This is a new form of bike sharing, said Melli, which isn't being done anywhere else in the country.