Hoboken, Jersey City launch unified bikeshare with Lyft (slideshow)

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Hoboken and Jersey City launched their unified bikeshare program May 13, through which 800-plus bikes can be accessed through Lyft.

Hoboken will utilize Citi Bike as its exclusive bikeshare operator for the first time, while Jersey City will expand existing Citi Bike operations into three additional neighborhoods. The program will operate under a five-year agreement.

The 820 bike fleet has both pedal bikes and pedal-assist e-bikes.

“Citi Bike is one of the most successful bikeshare programs in the world because of its long-term — and increasingly regional — public private partnerships with cities like Hoboken and Jersey City to create a network 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 in a prepared statement. “With the addition of pedal-assist e-bikes 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.”

The new system will consist of 82 docking stations, including two stations in Greenville, and 29 new stations in Hoboken. The system will be 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 memberships are available for Jersey City Housing Authority residents, Hoboken Housing Authority residents, and SNAP recipients.

New Jersey residents can access their first 30-minute ride free on a Citi Bike Classic bike during Memorial Day weekend using promo code NJEXPANSION21 in the Lyft app to redeem the offer and unlock a bike.

Residents can learn more about the program through a virtual town hall on May 20 at 6 p.m. Attendees will receive a free Citi Bike day pass.

“The logic of having the same bicycle share system in adjacent municipalities is obvious and we are excited to see this becoming a reality,” BikeJC President Patrick Conlon said in a prepared statement.”We also look forward to the promised increase of docks outside of downtown Jersey City and the implementation of a protected bike lane between Hoboken and Jersey City. We feel this will help build a more equitable system and add a vital connection to the growing bike lane network in both cities.”

For $179 per year, annual members can take as many 45-minute rides as they like on a Classic bike or upgrade to an e-bike for an additional $0.12/min. Currently, 70% of annual Citi Bike members in Jersey City also use Citi Bike in New York, according to Lyft.

For non-members, a single ride on a Classic pedal bike costs $3.50 for up to 30 minutes. For an additional $0.18 per minute, riders can upgrade to an e-bike.