Community Highlights

Hoboken is designated as a Gold-level community due to the city’s innovative encouragement campaigns, the high rate of walking and transit ridership, and a built environment that is highly conducive to walking. Highlights of Hoboken’s application include:

• As a neighbor to New York City, the City of Hoboken benefits from the services of three regional transit systems and one city agency.  Ninety-nine percent of its population lives within a quarter mile of a bus stop or a half-mile from a rail stop, which is highlighted in the city’s 57 percent transit and 10 percent walking mode share.
• Corner Cars, Hoboken’s citywide car-sharing program, seeks to curb demand for parking rather than increasing supply.  They have a fleet of 42 vehicles, each of which is parked on a corner for maximum visibility.  Ninety percent of Hoboken residents live within a 3–5 minute walk from a car.  Their studies have shown that for each Corner Car, 17 households have given up their car and an additional 20 have delayed or avoided the purchase of a car.
• The “20 is Plenty” program has been adopted by the city, which created a public service announcement and press release to encourage driving speeds of 20 mph rather than the posted speed limit of 25 mph.
• Hoboken Summer Streets is a program that closes a large segment of Sinatra Drive (the waterfront boulevard) to motor-vehicle traffic every Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
• Unveiled in the Fall of 2010, “Surrender Your Permit” incentivizes residents with residential parking permits to turn them in in exchange for a package of rewards valued at $500/month.  Part of the program encourages walking through partnership with a local shoe store that offers pedometers, athletic socks, and discounts on athletic shoes.
• Ninety-nine percent of the city’s arterials are lined with sidewalks on both sides.  Four miles of new sidewalks are planned in the next three years.
• All crosswalks are painted with high-visibility markings.  Additionally, Hoboken has improved pedestrian intersection design at low cost by “daylighting” intersections.  With the use of vertical delineators, they are able to incorporate bulb-outs at key intersections to improve sight distance for all road users.  This flexible solution is significant, as it allows for pedestrian improvements in a climate of limited funding availability. As funding becomes available, these treatments can be made permanent.
• The City of Hoboken was selected by an international consultant to be a pilot community for testing new pedestrian-sensing cameras that will improve the on-going analysis of walking trips in the downtown area.