Newark Is Among ‘Best Places To Live Without A Car,’ Report Says

NEWARK, NJ — There are lots of reasons for car owners to “dump the pump” and use public transportation, advocates say: long commutes, high fuel prices, air pollution. And Newark is one of the best cities in the nation to give it a shot, a recent study says.

On Tuesday, CoworkingCafe released a list of the “best places to live without a car.” Only one city ranked above Newark in the study – Boston – with New York City ranking third, Washington D.C. coming in fourth, and San Francisco claiming the fifth spot.

The study analyzed 331 U.S. cities, each with a population of over 100,000. Researchers ranked each city according to several factors, such as the percentage of the population that uses public transportation and those who commute by walking, biking or cabs/motorcycles/other similar vehicles. Researchers also analyzed the density of stations and bike lanes, as well as the average price of the adult fare, among other metrics. Read the full list and see its methodology here.

Here’s what the report had to say about Newark:

“Given its status as a major transportation center with one of the busiest airports in the nation, as well as a transit system that plugs seamlessly into the greater New York City area, it’s no wonder that Newark’s public transportation is a great alternative to commuting by car. Plus, residents can easily access different means of public transit as the city boasts the highest station density among all of the locations in our study with almost 10 per square mile. Even so, it might come as a surprise that, while metros, buses and trains are being used by one-fifth of the population, a large share (almost 8%) also chooses to move around via taxi, motorcycle or other similar vehicles. In fact, Newark came in third in this category, outdone only by another New Jersey representative — Elizabeth — as well as California’s Salinas.”

About 21.4 percent of commuters in Newark use public transportation, with another 5.4 percent commuting by walking. There are nearly 10 public transportation stations per square mile in Newark – the highest ratio of any city analyzed in the study.

Newark’s numbers are nearly double the state average, with about 11 percent of people in New Jersey using public transport, excluding taxis, according to recent U.S. Census data.

Public transportation in New Jersey’s largest city isn’t only happening via airplane, bus and train.

In May, Newark officials announced that the city’s e-scooter and bicycle share program hit a big milestone: a million rides. That’s the number of trips that people have taken in the Brick City since its first-ever shared e-scooter and bike program launched in 2021.

Officials said the program – dubbed “NewarkGo” – has attracted nearly 75,000 individual riders. The two operating companies, Bird Rides and Veoride, have provided an estimated 2,000 affordable scooters and bicycles as part of the program.

According to Mayor Ras Baraka, there are plans to carve out a permanent place for shared e-scooters and bicycles in the city. He touted improvements in traffic and parking – as well as air quality – that have come with the vehicles.

“Newark has been on the receiving end of environmental injustice for decades, but we are taking matters into our own hands with Earth-friendly, forward-thinking solutions,” Baraka said.

• See Related: E-Scooters, Bikeshare Are Here To Stay In Newark, Mayor Says

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