After Being Hit By Car, Hoboken Councilman Draws Attention To Bike Safety

HOBOKEN, NJ — Just because cars are supposed to share the road with bikes, doesn't mean it works out that way.

On Monday, the same day that Hoboken introduced a "protected" bike lane between that city and Jersey City, Councilman Michael DeFusco said at a council meeting at night that he'd been hit by a car while riding his bike Saturday.

He wasn't injured, he said, but he suspected it was a "road rage" incident because the driver had yelled at him to use the bike lane before they made contact.

A police report from Saturday says the accident occurred near 220 Adams St. The report says that the driver "advised" DeFusco to use the bike lane. The driver then "made contact with the bicyclist, causing damage" to the bike.

DeFusco said he had just picked up a CitiBike rental bike and was headed toward the bike lane.

He said Tuesday that after speaking out at the Monday council meeting, "I have heard from a number of people today who are concerned about the safety of our streets."

Police are investigating the incident, but DeFusco said that to him, the issue is about finding ways to make the roads safer.

On Monday, the cities of Hoboken and Jersey City announced the new protected bike lane, separated from the road with bollards.

But not all bike lanes are separated from cars. On Hoboken's busy main street, Washington Street, the bike lane is a green column with only a painted line separating it from other traffic.

In summer, after his wife was struck on a bike and killed, a Washington D.C. man spoke out about the need for safer bike lanes, saying just designating the routes wasn't enough.

DeFusco made a similar comment on Twitter this week.

He wrote, "This experience has renewed my commitment to making #Hoboken streets safer for us all. Re-exploring options for a protected bike lane on Washington Street."

A local bicycle activist group supported DeFusco:

However, some commenters said that bicyclists have to get better at following traffic signals, lest they hit a pedestrian.

One person posted a photo showing how cars use the bike lanes on Washington Street for parking.

And the driver who collided with DeFusco spoke up in NJ.com on Wednesday, saying he did tell DeFusco to use the bike lanes, but that hitting him was an accident that kept him up at night.

Local Day of Remembrance For Victims

On Sunday, local activists will observe the annual World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. The local remembrance will be held at 11 a.m. at Pier A park in Hoboken, a short walk from the train station.

Among those killed on bikes in Hudson County in the last few years was Hoboken artist Peggy McGeary, who was struck by a truck in 2019 while bicycling to her studio up the hill in Union City. She was 79. A bike still marks the location.

To see statistics on traffic deaths in Hoboken and Jersey City since 2014, look here: Hudson County Traffic Deaths Rose Along With State Trend.