Aug 21, 2020 - Economy

Hoboken goes all in on bike share programs

Marisa Fernandez

Screenshot of Axios' Ina Frid and Hoboken Mayor Bhalla — Axios' Ina Fried (l) and Hoboken, N.J., Mayor Ravinder Bhalla. Photo: Axios

Hoboken, N.J., Mayor Ravinder Bhalla said at an Axios virtual event Friday that the city is ramping up its bike-share program with Citi Bike to make commuting to Manhattan and Jersey City easier.

Why it matters: Hoboken is the fifth-most densely populated city in the country and many of its residents use public transit. Fear of using public transit is still high during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Hoboken has the highest population of residents that rely on mass transit to commute to-and-from work every day in the country. That creates a real challenge for us," Bhalla said.

The big picture: The transit initiative predates the pandemic. The city has already converted 40% of its roads to include bike lanes.

"That policy initiative has become all the more important in the context of COVID-19 where you face real health risks that are associated with what we're used to, which is mass transit," he said.

Watch the event here.

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Hoboken goes all in on bike share programs

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