Revamped Hoboken Shuttle Bus Offering Free Rides Through October

The City of Hoboken invites the community to rediscover the revamped Hop shuttle bus system with free rides through the end of October. Beginning Monday, Sept. 15 through Friday, Oct. 31, riders may use any of the three Hop shuttle bus routes at no charge as often as they wish.

The City recently purchased new shuttle buses to replace the old Hop bus fleet that regularly broke down and needed to be taken out of service for maintenance. All buses now have electronic message boards to indicate the route, wheelchair lifts, and air conditioning. The buses are equipped with GPS and can be tracked in real-time on smartphones through the SmartTraxx application for iOS and Android.

“Whether it’s for taking children to school, commuting, shopping, or just getting around town, we want to provide more convenient transportation options for our community,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer. “We invite everyone to take advantage of the free service through the end of October and rediscover the Hop.”

“Depending on ridership and community support, the City is considering expanding Hop service hours on evenings and weekends as part of the parking and mobility master plan,” added Councilman Peter Cunningham, Chair of the City Council Parking & Transportation Committee.

The service is named the “Hop” to reflect that riders can hop on or off at any far-side corner along the route by simply notifying the driver. The Hop system has three overlapping routes – the Blue Hop (downtown), Green Hop (uptown west side), and Red Hop (uptown east side) – which are within a 5 minute walk of 99 percent of residents. All routes stop at the PATH station. The route map and additional information can be found at www.hobokennj.org/thehop.

Real-time GPS Tracking
The Hop shuttles can be tracked in real-time by downloading the “SmartTraxx” application for iOS and Android and selecting “City of Hoboken” from the list of options.

Hop Schedule
Red Hop (uptown west): 7am to 9am & 4pm to 7pm
Green Hop (uptown east): 7am to 7pm
Blue Hop (downtown): 7am to 8pm.
Senior Shuttle: 9am to 4pm
(all routes are temporarily out of service daily from 3pm to 4pm)

Where the Bus Stops
Buses will stop at any intersection along the route when flagged. Please note that buses will cross the intersection before stopping, so riders should wait on the far side of the intersection.

Boarding the Bus
As the bus pulls up to the stop, be sure to read the sign on the front and side (“Red Hop”, “Blue Hop”, or “Green Hop”) to check that the bus will take you where you want to go. Stay on the curb until your bus stops and the doors open. All buses are accessible to customers who use wheelchairs.

The farebox is directly in front of you as you board. When you board, place your exact cash fare (dollar bills or coins) in the farebox. The regular fare is $1, student fare is $0.50, and seniors and the disabled ride free. Children under 12 ride free with an adult. Exact change is required for all fares. No change is provided.

Getting Off the Bus
The bus will stop at any intersection along its route, if requested. To notify the bus driver when you wish to exit the bus, simply pull the stop request cord that runs along the upper part of the windows.

Information and photo courtesy of the City of Hoboken