Hudson Bike Share Announces Expansion of Program to Five More Cities

Hudson Bike Share

Hudson Bike Share 
 This fall, Hudson Bike Share, the public bike share program operating in Hoboken, will add 260 new bikes and 35 new stations throughout Guttenberg, North Bergen, Weehawken, Bayonne and West New York. The program is growing from its initial 250 bikes and 29 stations at launch to 560 bikes and over 65 stations across six cities.

The managing partner of the program, P3 Global Management â€“ a subsidiary of European Parking & Smart Mobility leader EYSA -, announced this week that it will begin the expansion this fall.

“We are extremely excited to start the expansion of our bike share program in Hudson County” said Carlos Pujol, CEO of P3 Global Management. “A New Jersey program, conceived to serve the needs of local Hudson County residents, has logged over 300,000 rides since its inception in 2015. The program is now expanding to Guttenberg, North Bergen, Weehawken, Bayonne and West New York, thereby connecting the Hudson water front and effectively enabling short intercity commutes as well as leisure rides. One membership, multiple cities. We’re excited to provide this service for the people of Hudson County, and appreciate their support. We look forward to bringing additional bikes and stations in the year ahead.”

With a focus on innovation, P3GM funds and project manages leading edge technology implementations such as bike sharing programs, LED lighting and sensory applications, WI-FI networks, smart parking optimization, interactive way finding kiosks, electric charging stations, and other sustainability solutions improving the quality of life and economic opportunities for cities in the United States and abroad.

Hudson Bike Share continues to grow not only on the map but in rides and membership as well. The program will celebrate its second anniversary this month, and this summer saw the highest ridership rates to date with over 20,000 members. On August 2nd of this year, the program had its highest daily ridership with 894 rides.

“With over 300,000 trips and 20,000 registered users, we are thrilled with the success of Hudson Bike Share in Hoboken and look forward to its expansion into a six-city program,” said Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “As the program nearly doubles in size to 560 bikes, it will become one of the largest bike share systems in the country and will provide the residents and visitors of our region with a healthy, environmentally-friendly way to commute, run errands, or exercise.”

The program partners with NextBike, a bike share company that operates in over 125 cities in 25 countries around the globe. NextBike manages the ground operations and provides the equipment and technology for the system.

“Hudson Bike Share has become an integral part of the Hoboken mobility ecosystem, and NextBike is thrilled to be transforming it into a regional system with our partners” said NextBike’s North America Business Operations Manager, Krysia Solheim. “We look forward to finding new ways to engage more residents and continuing to empower people from all different backgrounds to move in a healthy, affordable, quick, and environmentally responsible manner.”

Users can register online or download the NextBike app. The cost of the program is $95 per year or $12.95 a month and includes unlimited 45-minute trips. Riders can also choose a pay-as-you-go option for $2 per 30-minute ride. Hoboken Housing Authority residents and Section 8 voucher recipients are eligible for free memberships. The expansion of the program will allow access to more Hudson County residents while providing a strong and reliable service for users of all types.

“We are excited to help increase mobility and connectivity for the residents of West New York,” said Mayor Felix E. Roque, M.D. “From reducing traffic congestion to promoting a healthy lifestyle in an easy, inexpensive way, the benefits of partnering with Hudson Bikeshare are enormous and the expansion into North Hudson shows demand is there. We are proud to offer an environmentally friendly and convenient alternative for our residents to move around Town.”

Hudson Bike Share remains committed to the continued expansion of the program, and plans to further the expansion beyond Bayonne, Guttenberg, North Bergen, Weehawken, and West New York in 2018.

“We’re partnered with several Mayoral administrations, City Council members and business leaders across Hudson County to create a single bike share system that members can use in any of the participating municipalities with further expansion coming spring 2018” said James F. Murphy, Vice President of Business Development, and Community Relations for P3 Global Management

Riders can use a smart phone or key card to unlock bicycles at any of the stations in the system. Once rented, the user will be given a code to unlock the bike, and begin their 30 or 45-minute ride. The highlight of the system is the ability to park the bikes temporarily, as well as the ability for users to end their trip at a station that is already full. This feature, which is lacking in prior-generation bike sharing models, allows users to make stops mid-trip and eliminates the frustration of arriving at an already full station.

Hudson Bike Share is supported by Suez Water, Carepoint Health, Investors Bank and Keller Williams Realty.