Citi Bike to Expand into Hoboken to Create Seamless Network with Jersey City

By Gersh Kuntzman
May 11, 2021

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla (right with Hoboken Director of Transportation Ryan Sharp) was already getting into the Citi Bike spirit when this file photo was taken in March.

How badly do Hoboken residents want Citi Bike? Just connect the dots.

The Mile Square City will join the Citi Bike network with existing stations in neighboring Jersey City on Wednesday, but even before the bike-share system’s docking stations officially went online, bikes started popping up on Monday in Hoboken:

Those green dots are bikes that came from Jersey City and were docked in Citi Bike racks that weren't even officially in service yet. — Those green dots north of the Holland Tunnel are bikes that came from Jersey City and were docked in Citi Bike racks that weren’t even officially in service yet.

It all comes as the two Hudson County cities and Lyft will announce on Wednesday the expansion into Hoboken and an increased presence in Jersey City. The unified bike-share system will grow to 82 docking stations comprising 820 bikes, including pedal-assist e-bikes, plus classic Citi Bikes.

Just as in New York City, food stamp recipients and/or residents of public housing in both cities can become Citi Bike members for $5 per month, which includes unlimited 45-minute rides on classic Citi Bikes, plus a reduced fee of five cents per minute on an e-bike (down from 12 cents for full-fare members).

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla was certainly not surprised to see Citi Bikes from Jersey City ending up docked in his downtown even before Wednesday’s launch.

“Those trips … make it abundantly clear that our cities are ready for an interconnected bike share system,” he told Streetsblog in a statement. “Citi Bike is a proven alternative mode of transportation that will provide important first-mile, last-mile options and substantial quality of life benefits for our residents.”

Jersey City has been a part of Citi Bike since 2015. Hoboken, which initially did not want to be in the Citi Bike system, has been devoid of bike share since the demise of JerseyBike in 2020.

Mayor Steven Fulop said he was excited that the two cities would finally have one system — and that his city would be getting 15 new stations over the course of the contract, including two new ones immediately.

“Expanding our already successful Citi Bike program will not only provide integration with Hoboken for the first time, but Jersey City will also add two stations in Greenville within the first 60 days based on community feedback,” he said.

As part of Wednesday’s launch, Lyft is offering New Jersey residents a “first ride free” offer during Memorial Day weekend. Between May 28 and May 31, new bike customers should use promo code NJEXPANSION21 in the Lyft app to unlock a bike. (New Yorkers might just try it, too; who knows?)