Mayor Fulop and Lyft Announce Agreement to Significantly Enhance Jersey City’s Transportation Network with Regional Connectivity and Greater Access, Adding Citi Bike Docking Stations and Ebikes

With Priority in Greenville, West Side, and The Heights, the Unified System Includes 950 Bikes across Jersey City and Hoboken

JERSEY CITY — Mayor Steven M. Fulop joins Lyft to announce plans of building upon their successful partnership by extending and expanding the Citi Bike program in Jersey City with 150 additional bikes and 15 new stations, prioritizing neighborhoods outside of downtown. The first two stations will be installed in Greenville, as identified by residents, within the first 60 days. Jersey City’s Municipal Council approved the resolution during Wednesday’s meeting. The new agreement will also include Hoboken, pending their City Council’s final approval.

“We have had great success in our valued partnership with Lyft, and this agreement is the latest step in our commitment to establish a comprehensive transportation network that includes mass transit, the Via system we implemented, and the growing bike share program, to better connect our residents to jobs, schools, and other important opportunities,” said Mayor Fulop. “In addition to having integration with Hoboken for the first time, as part of this agreement, Jersey City will immediately add two stations in Greenville based on community feedback. From there, the contract states we will add 15 stations with priority in Greenville, West Side, and The Heights.”

The unified system will include 650 bikes in Jersey City and 300 bikes in Hoboken, for a total of 950 bikes, under the five-year agreement. For the first time, the fleet will be comprised of both pedal bikes and pedal-assist ebikes – providing more options to best meet diverse riding preferences and allow riders of varying physical abilities to take longer rides, easily climb hills, and arrive at their destination more quickly. Over the next five years, Citi Bike will expand in Jersey City to 66 stations, 40% of which will be pedal-assist ebikes.

The agreement consists of 82 docking stations, including the 51 existing Citi Bike stations in Jersey City, two additional stations in Greenville, and all new stations in Hoboken. The expanded system will continue to be a part of the Citi Bike regional network, accessible on both the Lyft and Citi Bike apps, and with annual members having access to all Citi Bikes across New York and New Jersey. Reduced fare Citi Bike memberships are available for Jersey City Housing Authority residents and SNAP recipients.

“This is a big step toward continuing to grow Citi Bike’s role as a truly regional bike share program that meets the first- and last-mile commute needs of New Jersey residents, who often have bikeshare transportation needs on both sides of the Hudson,” said Laura Fox, General Manager for Citi Bike at Lyft. “With the addition of pedal-assist ebikes and transit planning in both the Lyft and Citi Bike apps, Citi Bike riders in New Jersey will have more ways to get around that are fast, affordable, and convenient.”

Docking stations near regional transit hubs such as Grove Street PATH Station and Journal Square help create seamless first- and last-mile connections to trains, buses, and ferries. Lyft has also added real-time transit arrivals in both the Lyft and Citi Bike mobile apps to help riders plan rides that include both bike share and regional transit systems such as PATH, HBLR, New Jersey Transit, and New York Waterway.

Through the Jersey City Bicycle Master Plan, which was adopted in 2019, Jersey City has set ambitious goals to transform how residents move with the intent of quadrupling cycling levels in the city by 2025. This latest agreement builds on the administration’s clear commitment to eliminate barriers and increase access to biking within the greater area.

“After launching Citi Bike in 2015, Jersey City has prioritized the implementation of Vision Zero initiatives, including a protected bike lane network that now spans over 10 miles citywide. As a result, we have witnessed a significant increase in biking and walking, which are essential modes of travel, especially during the pandemic,” said Barkha Patel, Jersey City’s Director of Transportation Planning. “This partnership with the City of Hoboken and Lyft reflects the community’s longstanding desire for an interoperable system that makes cycling between our two cities easy and convenient. We expect to see more and more people using bikes to get around as we continue to expand our transportation infrastructure and connect all of our neighborhoods with affordable, healthy, and efficient transportation options.”

For dedicated commuters, Lyft offers an annual membership designed to keep riders pedal-powered on the more than 19,000 bikes in the system across New York and New Jersey. Riders will now be able to take a Citi Bike to the PATH in Hoboken and then take another bike to complete their journey once they reach Manhattan. For $179 per year, annual members can take as many 45-minute rides as they like on a classic bike or upgrade to an ebike for an additional $0.10/min. Currently, 70% of annual Citi Bike members in Jersey City also use Citi Bike in New York.

A single ride on a classic pedal bike costs $3 for up to 30 minutes. For an additional $0.15 per minute, riders can upgrade to an ebike.

Lyft, the owner of Citi Bike, also offers a Citi Bike reduced fare membership that costs only $5 per month for Jersey City Housing Authority, Hoboken Housing Authority, and SNAP recipients, which includes unlimited free rides on classic pedal bikes for up to 45 minutes. Per minute pricing on ebikes is reduced to $0.05/minute for these riders.

Lyft will continue to offer its highly effective and innovative user rewards program called Bike Angels, currently running in Jersey City. By rewarding users for slightly adjusting their origin or destination away from stations that are full based on real-time and forecasted system conditions, the Bike Angels program meaningfully increases bike availability across the system. Users are rewarded with ride passes, Membership Extensions, and gift cards depending on how many points they earn through the program.