Jersey City, NJ — Citi Bike Jersey City launched with a flourish On Monday, September 21st, 2015 with Mayor Steven M. Fulop joining Jay Walder, President & CEO of Motivate, funders and community supporters to cut the ribbon at the Citi Bike station in the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza, bringing the 350-bike, 35-station system online.

Citi Bike Jersey City is fully supported by sponsorship and other revenues, making it the only bike share system in a mid-size city to operate without public funding.  Citi is the Title Sponsor for the new system.  Four additional organizations – the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, SUEZ North America, CarePoint Health and Jersey City Medical Center–Barnabas Health have been named Founding Sponsors. An investment by Goldman Sachs will allow for the initial purchase of docking stations and bicycles.  Fully interoperable with New York Cityâ€s Citi Bike, the system allows those who commute or travel between the two cities to use their memberships in both independent systems.

“It’s not very often that a city gets a completely new public transit system, a new way to enjoy the outdoors and stay active, and a new link to New York all at once, but that’s what we have today with Citi Bike,” said Jersey City Mayor Steven M. Fulop. “This is something that will connect every corner of the city.  We have bike stations in every ward.”

“Thanks to Mayor Fulopâ€s visionary leadership and the support of terrific sponsors, the Citi Bike program is now a seamless regional transportation network improving commutes on both sides of the Hudson,” said Jay Walder, President & CEO of Motivate. “The launch of the Citi Bike program in Jersey City shows that bike share has become a critical component of healthy, sustainable and convenient urban living in cities of all sizes.”

The new system advances Mayor Fulopâ€s goal of making Jersey City ‘Americaâ€s best mid-size cityâ€â€”providing a new, environmentally friendly, healthy and affordable 24/7 transportation option for the cityâ€s residents and visitors, and making the city more welcoming to cyclists overall. Jersey City has already added 22 miles of bike lanes to the street grid over the past two years alone.

The systemâ€s funders rallied around bike share in Jersey City, praising the new opportunities for commuting and recreation that it will make possible in New Jersey and New York.

“Citi Bike has become an iconic mobile landmark in New York City, and we are thrilled to help roll Citi Bike out to Jersey City residents and visitors,” said Elyssa Gray, Director of Brand and Advertising of Citi Cards at Citi.  “The Citi Bike program has produced enormous benefits— be they transportation, health or sustainability-related— and we are proud to join Mayor Fulop and Motivate to bring them to Jersey City.”

“As a Founding sponsor, the Horizon Foundation encourages city residents to embrace the Jersey City Bike Share program and pedal their way to better health,” said Minalkumar Patel, M.D.,  Senior Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer for Horizon BCBSNJ.  A Hudson County resident who grew up in Jersey City, Dr. Patel added: “Cycling combines a fitness activity into a riderâ€s daily routine, offering the same cardiovascular benefits as other aerobic exercises, and supports a healthy lifestyle. ”

“Jersey City, under Mayor Fulopâ€s administration, has an established a reputation as a leader in “green” initiatives,” said Nadine Leslie, President of SUEZ Environmental Services. “SUEZ North America is excited to help this reputation by supporting Jersey City as a lead sponsor of the Citi Bike program in Jersey City.”

“We are proud to be a founding partner of Jersey City’s bike share program,” said CarePoint Health System CEO Dennis Kelly.  “Improving the health and quality of life of the population we serve is CarePoint Health’s core mission, and this program takes a huge step in that direction.”

“Having a Citi Bike station on the Jersey City Medical Center campus and one near my home in Jersey City will give me an healthy alternative means of transportation,” said Joe Scott, President & CEO of Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health. “At Barnabas Health we believe life is better healthy and I will encourage others to do the same when making appointments or as a method of commuting.   Our Citi Bike rental station is near Liberty State Park and the Light Rail and we expect it to be one of the busiest locations.”

“We are excited to see a new Citi Bike launch in Jersey City, allowing residents to travel between the two cities easily in an environmentally friendly way,” said Margaret Anadu, Managing Director in the Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group.  “This expansion will not only increase access to affordable green transportation but will also create quality jobs and sustainable economic development.”

Jersey City residents can sign up for memberships at www.citibikejc.com. Pricing across New York and New Jersey are the same, with an annual membership cost of $149, discounted by $25 until the end of this month. Members are entitled to unlimited use of the system for individual bike trips of up to 45 minutes. Members using the Citi Bike bikes for longer periods will be charged a graduated fee. There are also options for day and weekly memberships, for those visiting Jersey City or trying the system for the first time.

Corporate memberships are also available. Any Jersey City employer that signs up by October 1st will be designated a charter member, with the opportunity to extend a 50% or 100% subsidy to every employee. Interested employers – and employees – can contact marketing@citibikejc.com for more information.

Several great local restaurants and cultural destinations will offer discounts to Citi Bike key holders through September 30th. ‘Kitchen at Grove’ will offer free coffee or tea on weekdays between 7:00am-10:00am, while ‘Mordi’s Food Truck’ and ‘Who’s Gluten Free’ will both offer 10 percent discounts.  Many more Jersey City deals will come online through the month, to encourage residents to sign up for the service and invite New York members to explore all that Jersey City has to offer on Citi Bike. For a complete list of participating businesses, please visit the Citi Bike Jersey City Tumblr page. 

Subsidized memberships of $60 per year will also be available— as they are in New York— for residents who meet certain income qualifications.  The average family with an annual income of less than $50,000 spends roughly 30 percent of their budget on transportation, statistics show. A $60 bike share subscription, Mayor Fulop believes, will provide families with affordable transportation.

The Citi Bike program now joins other regional bike share networks operated by Motivate including Hubway, Capital Bike Share and Bay Area Bike Share in providing a transportation network that serves residents across municipal boundaries with one single, seamless membership. Citi Bike in the New York / New Jersey area is the largest bike share program in the United States and one of the largest in the world. Citi Bike riders have taken over 21 million trips on the program in New York since it launched in May 2013.

About Motivate

Motivate is a global leader in bike share. A full-service bike share operator and technology innovator, Motivate works to re-envision how people experience and move around cities.  Motivate currently manages all of the largest bike share systems in the United States and many of the largest systems in the world, including Bay Area Bike Share (California Bay Area), Citi Bike (New York), Divvy (Chicago), CoGo Bike Share (Columbus, Ohio), Capital Bike Share (Washington, D.C.; Arlington and Alexandria, Va.; and Montgomery County, Md.), Hubway (Boston, Somerville, Cambridge and Brookline, Mass.), Pronto (Seattle), Bike Chattanooga (Tenn.), Bike Share Toronto and Melbourne Bike Share in Australia. Motivateâ€s newest system is Citi Bike Jersey City, N.J., that will be compatible with New York Cityâ€s Citi Bike program.

The post Citi Bike® Program Launches in Jersey City first appeared on River View Observer.

     Raises $7000 for Theater Companyâ€s Hearing-Loss Program

 By: Sonia Shephard

California is 3,410 miles away whether you go by train, plane or car.  Henry Greenfield, 24, of Jersey City rode his 2015 Fuji Touring Bike from New Jersey to California, journeying through the states in 50 days. Greenfield made the trip, facing extreme temperature changes and with 70 pounds of supplies on his bike to raise money for a California theater groupâ€s hearing-loss program. What makes this journey even more amazing is that Greenfield also has hearing loss, and wears a hearing implant.

Greenfieldâ€s cross-country journey started at the Frank Sinatra Park in Hoboken at 7 an on Sept. 23, and concluded 50 days later on the beach of Santa Monica, California where he was greeted by the No Limits theater group of Culver City. Greenfieldâ€s journey raised $7,000 for the theater groupâ€s hearing loss program.

“When I finally reached Santa Monica on my bike, and saw everyone waiting for me at the pier near the beach, it was surprising and emotional at that moment for me that I had finally reached the end,” Greenfield says.

The first day started at 7 am and ended at 2 am. Greenfield had traveled 150 miles, thus, the journey had begun.

“I started from the Hudson River at Frank Sinatra Park to be as close to the coast as possible for my starting point,” Greenfield says.

After arriving at Bethlehem, Pennsylvania the next morning, Greenfield headed toward Maryland and then back up to Pennsylvania taking the Great Allegheny Path. To guide him, he used apps like Google Maps on his cellphone which he mounted on his bike.

During his trip, he routes were so scenic that he was able to appreciate the beauty without being distracted. Greenfield says. There were all types of roads that offered a challenge and he rode during the night on paths and roads that were unfamiliar to him. Greenfield traveled through Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and finally California.

“I made a trip to the Grand Canyon and saw a lot of wild animals like deer, possum, armadillo, and coyotes,” Greenfield says.

During the trip, Greenfield had four flats, made 43 stops, and rode in rain, harsh winds, and hot weather.  He kept his expenses low with food and lodging, but that didnâ€t prevent him from stopping at Olive Garden to fuel up on carbs.  On Oct. 30, his 24th birthday, Greenfield treated himself to two pizzas in Santa Rosa, New Mexico.

Greenfield averaged 50 to 130 miles a day and would take two 20-minute breaks on a typical day.  Along the way, passers-by cheered for him, Greenfield says, even giving donations and buying him meals. And on Day 50, Greenfield accomplished his goal.

“I am proud of my accomplishment,” Greenfield says. “This trip showed me how resourceful I am to planning and being mentally pushed beyond limits.”

To see pictures of Henry Greenfieldâ€s trip and for more info, go to www.henryonabike.tumblr.com.

The post BICYCLIST RIDES FROM HOBOKEN TO CALIFORNIA IN 50 DAYS first appeared on River View Observer.