‘Bike Hudson County’ Group Leading Bike Lane Initiative

John F. Kennedy Boulevard East (Boulevard East) is a two-way road overlooking the Hudson River, located in Hudson County. The route goes through Weehawken, West New York, Guttenberg, and North Bergen.

Presently, there is federal funding planned for a redesign of Boulevard East. Bike Hudson County, a consortium of bike and safe-streets groups, has teamed together to bring a safer atmosphere for cyclists, scooters, wheelchairs, and other micro-mobility devices.

Bike North Bergen, Bike Weehawken, BiciUC, Bike Hoboken, BikeJC, and SafeStreetsJC are advocating for a protected bike lane on certain roads, specifically from “Braddock park south to Hoboken.”

Emmanuelle Morgan, leader of Bike Hoboken, states, “The county and the NJTPA (North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority), presented a plan with a protected bike lane to the mayors; however, they rejected it in favor of a plan with angled parking. Angled parking has been proven to have higher crash statistics than parallel parking.”

The Hoboken resident goes on to say, “Delivery workers, school children, there are a lot of seniors who live along boulevard east who might benefit from having some protection with the bike lane…I always wondered would people take bikes or scooters or e-bikes or tricycles or whatever, if you know, they had a protected bike lane.” 

Bike Hudson County has made it its mission to “make our streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, as well as reduce travel times and improve traffic for drivers who need to commute by car.” They believe a county-wide cycle network will formulate a safer environment for Hudson County citizens and simultaneously reduce travel times and improve traffic for drivers who need to commute by car.

John Andrade, leader of Bike North Bergen, conveys, “Public transportation within New Jersey can be a little disappointing at times, so I think cycling within New Jersey to get to places within New Jersey is a better option sometimes than waiting for a bus..” The organization has released a petition to keep the protected cycle track.