Dear Neighbors,
Wishing you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving 🦃 holiday.
Here is the latest.
Hoboken and Jersey City Open a Shared North-South Protected Bike Lane
Hoboken and Jersey City have completed a linked north-south protected bike lane. This is a first for our communities, which already share a Citi Bike program that has had more than 400,000 rides begin or end in Hoboken since the program began in May of 2021. This protected bike lane, on Marin Boulevard and Henderson Street, connects a protected bike lane at 18th Street in Jersey City with Hoboken’s protected bike lane at Observer Highway.
Featuring a new high-visibility traffic separator curb, flexible bollards, and Endurablend surface that offers traction and visibility, the new protected bikeway provides cyclists with a safe, accessible option for commuting between Jersey City and Hoboken to reach major public transportation hubs, employment spots, shopping, and dining.
When I ran for Council in 2019, building a protected bike circuit was part of my platform. With this new protected bike lane connection, Hoboken and Jersey City have taken an important step forward to create a protected bike circuit — closing a gap between our cities’ network and making it easier for residents of all ages and abilities to safely rely on green transportation options.
This project includes improvements for pedestrians and drivers, with high visibility crosswalks and extended turn lanes onto Newark St. and Observer Highway to improve traffic flow. You can read about the Jersey City-Hoboken protected bike lane here and here.
Hoboken Unveils "Technicolour" Public Art Installation
A 60-foot-tall, 225-foot-wide mural by world-renowned visual artist Michelle Hoogveld was unveiled on the Hudson Street façade of Garage B. The mural is a creative effort by Mayor Bhalla and his administration, the Hoboken Business Alliance, and the Hoboken Arts Advisory Committee. The Hoboken Business Alliance — an organization on which I serve as a Trustee — shared the cost of this installation with the City of Hoboken. I encouraged and supported this effort with my fellow Business Alliance Trustees as well as my fellow Council colleagues who supported this work.
This beautiful mural brings new life to a much-maligned, old garage and will be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.
Go to Hudson and 2nd Streets and Check out “Technicolour”!
Congratulations to Congressman-Elect Rob Menendez
Congratulations to Rob Menendez on his landslide election to Congress last week. During this year’s long campaign, many Hoboken residents got to meet Rob as he spent substantial time in our community talking to voters, joining us at a variety of community events, and walking our neighborhoods.
I am confident Hoboken will have an outstanding new representative when Rob takes the oath of office. I look forward to working with Congressman Menendez to serve our community. Thanks to retiring Congressman Albio Sires for his many years of dedicated service to our community and to our nation.
With Congressman-Elect Rob Menendez on Election Night
Hoboken Board of Education Election
Thanks to all the candidates who stepped up to serve our community as leaders of the Hoboken Public School District and serve as trustees on the Hoboken Board of Education.
Special congratulations to the winning Leadership that Listens slate — Leslie Norwood, Antonio Grana, and Alex De La Torre. You can read the final election results here.
Congratulations to Leslie, Antonio and Alex
Hoboken’s Milling and Paving Program
As part of the City's 2022 Complete Streets and Resurfacing Program, Hoboken has begun milling and paving operations. 37 blocks will be worked on between now and early December, including:
- 8th Street from Willow Avenue to Hudson Street
- 9th Street from Jefferson Street to Willow Avenue
- 10th Street from Grand Street to Park Avenue
- 11th Street from Adams Street to Willow Avenue
- 12th Street from Jefferson Street to Adams Street
- 13th Street from Madison Street to Adams Street
- Adams Street from 12th Street to 13th Street
- Jefferson Street from 11th Street to 12th Street
- Madison Street from 12th Street to 13th Street
Hudson County will also begin milling and paving Park Avenue from Observer Highway to 16th Street this week.
The project includes improvements to safety and accessibility to meet the City's Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic-related injuries and deaths by 2030. The improvements include:
- 49 high-visibility crosswalks
- 11 curb extensions
- Four raised intersections
- Four rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) signs
- 49 corners with flexible bollards to improve intersection visibility (“daylighting”)
- 74 ADA-compliant curb ramps with detectable warning surfaces
The City will post weekly construction updates online, including areas where parking is prohibited, which can be viewed here.
Repaving of roads and infrastructure upgrades were made possible by a partnership between Hudson County and the City, with the City funding its share via $1,652,071 in Municipal Aid grant funding from the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
For more information on the City’s 2022 Resurfacing and Complete Streets Program, click here. If you have any questions or concerns about milling or paving operations in your neighborhood, please email me at HobokenPhil@gmail.com.
Monkeypox Update and Vaccine Clinic Locations
New Jersey has a total of 754 cases of monkeypox as of November 13th with 185 cases located in Hudson County.
The State is providing monkeypox vaccinations for eligible individuals. Eligible individuals include those who have had known contact with someone who tested positive for orthopoxvirus or monkeypox in the past 14 days, people who attended an event where known monkeypox exposure occurred within the past 14 days, and men who have sex with men.
Monkeypox Vaccine Locations
To see all Monkeypox vaccination locations throughout New Jersey click here. If you believe you’ve been infected with Monkeypox, please contact the Hoboken Health Department at (201) 420-2375 for additional guidance, information, and contact tracing. Also, you can visit the CDC’s Monkeypox page here for additional information.
COVID Testing Updates
To get the current Hoboken COVID testing and hours click here.
At-home COVID testing
The NJ Department of Health and Vault Medical Services offers free, at-home COVID-19 saliva test kits. To order your kit go to learn.vaulthealth.com/nj.
COVID Vaccinations and Vaccination Records
To get current information on Hoboken’s COVID vaccination clinics click here.
If you are a Hoboken resident and would like a copy of your vaccination record, please contact LMedeiros@hobokennj.gov. Vaccination records are also accessible for all New Jersey residents through the Docket app.
Staying Up To Date and Reaching Out For Assistance
I regularly issue this newsletter every other Friday. You also can stay up to date by following me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. If you have any questions or concerns, or if I can be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact me at HobokenPhil@gmail.com.
Phil Cohen
Hoboken City Councilman
Hoboken, New Jersey
HobokenPhil@gmail.com
(862) 234-9053
P.S. You can learn more about me and my ideas for Hoboken (as well as read this newsletter and prior newsletters) on my website philcohen.org.
