Report: Hoboken on Cutting Edge of Bike Use in NJ

Hoboken is helping to set the benchmark for municipal bicycle use, according to a report from the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center (BRPC).

Using data from 60 cities and towns in New Jersey taken from 2013 to 2014, researchers compared metrics such as municipal level of spending on bicycling, city bicycle policies, and implementation of programs such as Safe Routes to Schools and Complete Streets.

As part of their research, Hoboken was noted for “installing bicycle infrastructure on 37 percent of its streets, and deploying innovative bicycle facilities such as bicycle boxes to keep riders safe.”

The study also found that:

• Out of 33,084 Hoboken workers that are over 16 years old, 0.7 percent bike to work
• Hoboken spent $75,000 on bicycle infrastructure in 2013, or $1.50 per capita
• Five city employees are tasked with bicycle planning

“Hoboken is a notable community thanks to its infrastructure,” the study stated. “The city has 13 miles of bicycle infrastructure on 35 miles of streets. This means that 37 percent of roads have bicycle infrastructure. Hoboken has also experimented with advance-stop lines (bicycle boxes) at intersections, and was the first municipality in New Jersey to pilot a bicycle share system.

“In 2015, the city plans to launch a full bicycle share system along with the neighboring municipality of Weehawken. Hoboken is recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a Bicycle Friendly Community (Bronze), and has had a Complete Streets policy since 2010.”

Read the full report online here.