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Jersey City officials say they will build the city's first protected bike lane on Grand Street.

(Terrence T. McDonad | The Jersey Journal)

JERSEY CITY -- Jersey City is planning to build the city's first protected bicycle lane on Grand Street, Mayor Steve Fulop announced in his fourth state of the city address last night.

Fulop, speaking inside the City Council chambers to an audience of about 500, said the protected bike lane would be expanded to other major roadways once it is installed on Grand Street, which runs for about two miles from the Bergen/Lafayette area to the Waterfront.

"While a reliance on cars still remains a reality in our modern city, the most efficient cities in the nation are also focused on strategies to build more pedestrian-friendly communities," Fulop said, according to his prepared remarks.

Fulop, who is seeking his second term in November, is giving six state of the city addresses this year instead of the usual one. Each speech is geared toward a different ward.

A protected bike lane on Observer Highway in Hoboken.

Protected bike lanes are removed in some way from adjacent lanes of car traffic, sometimes by lines of parked cars or by a median. Hoboken has one on a stretch of Observer Highway and another on Sinatra Drive.

It's not clear how long the protected bike lane on Grand Street would be. City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said the city estimates the cost will be $3 million. In Chicago, they can cost up to $200,000 per mile. New York City says theirs cost $600,000 per mile.

Morrill said construction should begin late this year or in early 2018.

New York City installed 18.5 miles of protected bike lanes last year and plans to add 8.9 more miles in 2017.

Cyclist advocacy group Bike JC is thrilled, saying in a statement that protected bike lanes will make Jersey City "safer, cleaner, greener, more efficient and more accessible to all."

"We urge everyone involved to move forward quickly, while also following the high standards for bike lane design that are rapidly evolving in great cities around the world," the group said.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.