Regional Bike Share Program Coming to Jersey City

More good transportation news for Jersey City: Jersey City, Hoboken and Weehawken recently announced they will partner on a regional bike share program, bringing at least 300 bikes and 30 locations to Jersey City.

The program is also expected to be quite high-tech: bikers will be able to register online or via smartphone app as well as rent directly at the stations using a credit card.  Bikes will even be equipped with GPS to collect data for the municipalities.  Bikers will also be able to rent bikes in one municipality and return it in another.

For more information, check out this press release on the City of Hoboken's website.

Enterprise CarShare Coming to Hoboken and Jersey City

According to carrentals.co.uk, Enterprise CarShare has announced they will be bringing their service to Hoboken and Jersey City, further expanding transportation options for car-less residents around town.

Enterprise CarShare will start with 10 types of vehicles, from SUVs to economy cars, with plans to later expand the variety.  They also hope to have a lower member-to-car ratio than other car-sharing companies, so there will be more cars for people to rent.

Currently there are numerous ZipCar locations all around Jersey City, as well as quite a few rental car locations (although not all of them have convenient weekend hours).

For more information about living in Jersey City without a car, check out Seen in Jersey City's guide to going car-less from June 2013.

Update (12/13/2013): In further transportation-related news, yesterday Jersey City auctioned off 20 new taxi medallions (raising $5.1 million).  The additional available taxis on the street should be good news for commuters and residents.

Car-less in Jersey City?: Where to Rent a Car in Jersey City for Occasional Trips

One of the greatest luxuries of living in Jersey City is the freedom to be unburdened by car ownership.  Not only is it environmentally-friendly, going without a car saves you a bundle!  Recently AAA reported that the average cost of car ownership is a whopping $9100 annually.

Fortunately for Jersey City residents there are an abundance of public transportation options, including numerous connections to NYC, so you can ditch the car and still get around.  It is also easy to go by foot, highlighted by Jersey City's inclusion on the list of the 25 Best Fitness Walking Cities by the American Podiatric Medicine Association.

But there may be times you need four wheels, whether it is for a weekend getaway or lugging a new sofa back from Ikea.  As luck would have it there are a number of great options for non-car owners in Jersey City.  Here are a few ideas:

ZipCar locations around downtown Jersey City

ZipCar
There are a ton of ZipCar locations around downtown Jersey City, at least 16, so nearly one every few blocks!

To use ZipCar you first need to become a member (choose from a few different options, including one with no annual fee) and then you make reservations via their website, mobile app, etc.

Rates are as low as $9.75/hour or $89/day (excluding tax).

Their fleet includes pick-up trucks and cargo vans, so it is very convenient for short furniture shopping trips or small moves.



Rental Car Companies
There are several rental car companies in the downtown area to choose from, which is great since competition helps keep the rates affordable.  Most also have loyalty rewards programs so you can rack up free rentals.  Here are a few:

• Alamo at 129 Montgomery Street
• Avis at the Newport Centre Mall
• Budget at 181 First Street
• Dollar at Newport Centre Mall
• Enterprise at 455 Washington Blvd
• Hertz at 135 Greene Street
• National at 129 Montgomery Street

For the best rate you can also try online travel site like Hotwire or Kayak to compare all of the Jersey City rental car companies at once.

Taxi and Car Service
There are quite a few taxi and car service providers that you can call for a ride.  Check Yelp for reviews and phone numbers of local taxi and car service companies.  It is not uncommon to see shoppers take a car home from the grocery store which should only cost a few bucks for a short distance (and beats taking the push cart, especially in the winter!).

Or you can go straight to one of the taxi stands in Jersey City.  There are taxi stands outside the Grove Street, Newport and Journal Square PATH stations.

RelayRides
RelayRides is a car sharing company that allows car owners to rent their cars by the hour.  There are several cars available in Jersey City, however, the company has had some issues with insurance in NYC, so do your due diligence before you decide to use their service.

Any other ideas from non-car owners in Jersey City?

Weekend PATH Service to WTC and Exchange Place Restored

WTC PATH Entrance in Lower Manhattan

Weekend PATH service to WTC and Exchange Place has been restored, starting March 1st.