Delivery Robots Rolling Into Hoboken This September

Imagine ordering a pizza and having it delivered by a robot that hums along the sidewalk, stops politely for pedestrians, and wheels up to your front door. That’s arriving in Hoboken starting September 3rd, as the city launches a one-year pilot program with 20 autonomous delivery robots.

Two companies—Coco Robotics and Avride—will each provide 10 robots. They’ll operate in a small section of the First Ward, and they’ll run seven days a week on a limited schedule. The robots aren’t fast: they top out at 6 mph and cruise around 2 mph on average. But city officials believe they could make a real dent in delivery congestion and double parking.

You won’t need a new app to use them. They’ll show up as a delivery option in DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, or Wonder when you order from a participating local restaurant or business. And if you’d rather have a human bring your food, you can decline the robot option at checkout. Same for businesses—they can opt out too.

How did we get here?

The City Council approved the pilot just days before the announcement. It’s been in the works for a while, and Mayor Emily B. Jabbour has framed it as a careful, measured step into new technology. The city will get roughly $6,000 in revenue from the program, but the real goal is gathering data on how these robots perform across all four seasons.

Hoboken has been thinking about sidewalk robots for years. The city has seen a rise in delivery vehicles clogging narrow streets, and officials hope that small, slow robots could offer an alternative for short-distance trips. Before this, there was no framework for how these devices should operate on public sidewalks.

What does this mean for Hoboken?

If you live in the First Ward, you’ll start seeing these robots in your neighborhood come September. They’ll be share the sidewalk with you, your kids, your dog. The companies say the robots are programmed to yield to pedestrians at all times—they’ll slow down, stop, or reroute if someone’s in their path.

There are rules to keep things tidy. The robots will be moved off the street overnight and parked in low-traffic areas. They’ll have no-go zones in parks and other spots. And privacy is a big part of the plan: the cameras on the robots are for navigation only, and they blur faces and license plates automatically. No personal information gets recorded.

For local businesses, this could be another way to reach customers without needing their own delivery staff. And the pilot could create local jobs—people to deploy, charge, and maintain the robots. That’s something the city is banking on.

What are people saying?

Mayor Jabbour called the pilot “carefully structured” and said it gives Hoboken “an opportunity to support our local businesses and responsibly test a different approach to local deliveries.” She emphasized pedestrian safety and accountability throughout the announcement.

First Ward Councilman Paul Presinzano added: “This is what good government looks like: working together, putting safety first, and thinking ahead.” He said the program has “responsible guardrails” and a feedback channel built in from day one.

Not everyone is sold. Some residents have raised questions about sidewalk clutter and whether the robots will get along with strollers and wheelchairs. City officials say those concerns are exactly why they’re starting small and collecting feedback.

What’s next?

In the coming days, both Coco and Avride will host pop-up information sessions where you can see the robots and ask questions. The city will also publish an FAQ page about the program. If you’re in the First Ward, you’ll get more details on where the robots will operate and when.

At the end of 12 months, the city will review the safety record, infrastructure data, and community feedback before deciding whether to expand, adjust, or shut it down. The city says any expansion would require City Council approval.

So next month, keep an eye out on those Hoboken sidewalks. A robot might just roll past you, doing its job.