A Hudson Bike Share station along the Port Imperial waterfront — Courtesy: Integra Management Corp.
By Joshua Burd
Property owners along the master-planned Port Imperial development in Hudson County have unveiled a new bike sharing program, with the aim of further bolstering the transportation options available to residents and the public.
The Port Imperial Property Owners Association recently announced the installation of eight Hudson Bike Share stations, stretching along the Hudson River waterfront through Weehawken, West New York, and Guttenberg. The bicycles — which are designed for transportation, recreation and exercise — will allow users to connect with 57 other stations throughout Hoboken, Bayonne, North Bergen, Weehawken, West New York and Guttenberg.
The offering is also meant to complement the existing transportation modes at the two-mile-long Port Imperial area, according to Integra Management Corp., which serves as the managing agent for the property owners group. Those modes include the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, NJ Transit bus service, the New York Waterway ferry terminal and an internal shuttle bus.
“Port Imperial is now pleased to introduce the addition of the Hudson Bike Share program with more than eight bike stations located in Port Imperial to service our residents and interconnect with the upland and regional waterfront areas and their bike sharing programs, creating a continuous waterfront bike interconnectivity,” said Andrew Marshall, president and chief operating officer of Roseland Residential Trust, a subsidiary of Mack-Cali Realty Corp., and president of the Port Imperial Property Owners Association board of directors. “Roseland is committed to developing in transit-friendly locales that encourage residents to live an active and environmentally conscious lifestyle, and the addition of the Hudson Bike Share program in an integral role in rounding out the holistic environment we are creating at Port Imperial.”
Hudson Bike Share currently has more than 20,000 members and provided for over 300,000 rides in its first two years of serving Hudson County, according to a news release. Riders can use a smart phone or key card to rent bicycles at any of the stations in the system and are then given a code to unlock the bike and begin their 30- or 45-minute ride.
The managing partner of Hudson Bike Share, P3 Global Management, is a subsidiary of European Parking & Smart Mobility leader EYSA.
“Providing alternative means of transportation with PIPOA, so that we can further support folks going to work or just taking a ride along the Gold Coast of (New Jersey), is a true public-private partnership,” said James F. Murphy, vice president of business development and community relations for P3 Global Management.
A highlight of the Hudson Bike Share system is the ability to park the bikes temporarily, as well as the ability for users to end their trip at a station that is already full, the news release said. The feature, which is lacking in prior-generation bike sharing models, allows users to make stops mid-trip and eliminates the frustration of arriving at an already full station.
Hudson Bike Share is expected to continue its expansion beyond Hoboken, Bayonne, North Bergen, Weehawken, West New York and Guttenberg. The program is sponsored by Suez Water, CarePoint Health, Investors Bank and Keller Williams Realty.
