Hoboken, New Jersey is a fabulous place to be an environmentally concerned citizen, and an easy urban area in which to live without access to a car. New, exciting initiatives have helped the city to become certified as a “gold” member of Walk Friendly Communities, and the options for public transportation or pedestrians in the city are just amazing. Here are some things that make Hoboken a great place that is always pedestrian friendly:
Lots of Safe Sidewalks and Crosswalks
Around ninety-nine percent of Hoboken’s street ways are lined with sidewalks on both sides. In the next three years, somewhere around four new miles of sidewalks are being planned. All crosswalks are marked in high-visibility ways. Intersections within the city are also being better marked and made more visible to both pedestrians and drivers alike through the low-cost program of day lighting intersections. This is a more cost-viable way of making intersections safer without having to install “bump-outs” from sidewalks. On-going analysis of city walking trips is still being done through the use of pedestrian-sensing cameras that have been installed downtown. Hoboken is a pilot community for the testing of this program.
Transit and Corner Cars
Public transit is widely available for those times that citizens of Hoboken must travel farther than their feet alone can take them. There is one city agency within Hoboken for providing public transport and the city benefits from its close proximity to NYC by having access to three regional transit systems. About ninety-nine percent of residents live within a quarter mile of a public bus stop, or within a half-mile of a railway stop. Living in the area without a private vehicle is also easy because of the new Corner-Cars program, the first of its kind in the nation. Any of these 42 cars are parked at corners of streets for maximum visibility. Many city residents have given-up their cars, or have delayed replacing their cars because of this on-street city-wide car sharing program.
Other Incentives for Driving Less
The City of Hoboken has also offered other incentives for those driving or owning a vehicle that makes it safer for pedestrians throughout the city, and helps to control the parking problem. These include the “20 is Plenty” program that encourages drivers to drive at 20 miles per hour, instead of the posted 25 miles per hour limit on city streets, the Hoboken Summer Streets program, which closes a large segment of the waterfront boulevard in town to motor-vehicle traffic during summer months, and the “Surrender Your Permit” program, which encourages residents to surrender their parking permit to the city in exchange for a package of great rewards. These rewards can total in benefits of up to around $500 per month, and include incentives for walking like pedometers, discounts on athletic shoes, and athletic socks. Hoboken is one of the leaders of pedestrian protection and encouraging walking through their innovative city initiatives, easy access to public transport, and support of the City Council, local businesses, and the Mayor.
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