To be fair about 9th and Marin, a couple of traffic calming measures have also helped:

- The charter school puts up traffic cones, closing off 9th between Manilla and Marin during drop-off/pick-up hours.
- Traffic exiting the Holland tunnel can no longer turn left onto Marin.

There was progress on most of the items. Thank you Steve. I get the sense that the booting issue reached an impasse and now has been pushed aside for more important issues. There is also the matter of refunding money to people for improper booting. Money which the city does not have.

I was on the PATH advisory council last year. PATH was very straightforward in stating that they have complied with the applicable federal laws and an elevator would be nice but is not going to happen anytime soon.

Quote:

Thanks for posting this. Government is always frustrating but it is good to go back and look at these as a gauge of where we were

On the open space front

1) Hamilton park - renovated
2) Owen Grundy Pier - renovated
3) Hoboken JC walkway - completed
4) Paulus hook park - completed.

On the legislative side

1) booting - the mayor and I are at an impasse where I don't want to accept any first offense booting- period.

2) bedbugs - we were the first and passed the most comprehensive bill that was actually replicated at the state level.

3) pay to play - both contractor and redeveloped were passed.

On the education front

1) ethical community charter school is flourishing and our office was very involved in helping it get it's charter.

On the traffic/engineering

1) paving was and always was based on community feedback which we did

2) traffic lights - most are done but not all completed clearly with 9th and Marin being one of them

3) Newark avenue - the plan was implemented and passed. It has a several year phase in process but groundwork here and initial ordinances were passed

4) Greene street - it is re-opened

5) path - this is a heavier lift from a council seat sadly as it is something important/essential

6) Bus Shelters - happy to discuss this in more detail than a post on why delayed. Write me at fulops@jcnj.org

This is a great old post to see. They have done hardly any of these items in 2.5 years. Just shows how the council works or doesn't.
Steve tries & the rest do nothing as usual............

I fear the 9th & Marin light will never ever ever be constructed. Steven, your update said it was approved in 2008, but nothing has been done. Cars traveling northbound are really speeding from 6th Street to the Holland Tunnel. There are so many kids crossing there....a crossing guard was hit by a car on April 25, 2008. It's more than three years later! Why has nothing been done to date? I'm disgusted.

Quote:

FixMyPath would be more useful if it wasn't about expanding Newport's station and concentrated on the issues that effected all passengers equally-- primarily train, not platform overcrowding, and insisting that weekend WTC service is not suspended just so Manhattan can restore its skyline a few months earlier.

Hello,

I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying the fall weather. I would like to take a moment to update you on significant accomplishments in Ward E.

Many of the specific issues highlighted here are a direct result of constituent concerns and requests. Please forward this message on and contact my office if you have any additional questions or comments at fulops@jcnj.org or (201)547-5315.

Sincerely,

Steven Fulop

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Section 1 - Legislative News
Section 2 - Traffic, Transportation, & Redevelopment
Section 3 - Open Space
Section 4 - Education

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SECTION 1:
Legislative News

There are several projects we have initiated that will affect the entire city. These ordinances, in addition to the already passed Early Childhood Lead Protection Ordinance to ensure safety of children as well as the Residential Security Camera Ordinance, will be a tremendous benefit to residents citywide.

PAY-TO-PLAY: Thanks to community involvement via the referendum, we were able to accomplish the strictest pay-to-play legislation in the state. This is a testament to community involvement and democracy in action. See article: Click HERE

BOOTING ORDINANCE: Working with a committee to create a new and just policy, we have addressed many of the issues you have brought to us. The policy, as it stands now, boots your vehicle on the first offense in many areas. Regrettably, if you are booted, but deemed "not guilty" by the court and your ticket dismissed, you still unjustly pay an administrative fee of $45. We believe we have crafted an ordinance that will address these issues, while also making sure there is ample parking for residents. The main points of the booting ordinance amendments are as follows:

? One consistent policy throughout the city.
? Booting will only be applicable for offenders who have let unpaid parking tickets lapse beyond the proposed court date. At this point the vehicle will be boot eligible. The exact number of overdue tickets is still being negotiated.
? All fees associated with booting will be refunded should you be found "not guilty" by a court of law.
? In addition, and finally, we are exploring with the administration two important zone parking changes that will better facilitate resident parking availability for residents throughout the city.

BEDBUGS EXTERMINATION: With the growing issue of bedbugs in urban areas, we have drafted and passed a progressive amendment to the current Jersey City ordinance. Under the previous policy the burden of extermination rested mainly on the landlord, but more often than not, the landlord turned around and passed the bill directly on to the tenant. Whereas most major cities rest the responsibility on the landlord, our new policy for Jersey City is a hybrid that creates a shared responsibility depending on the circumstance and number of incidents per unit. As a result of this legislation Jersey City has the most progressive approach on extermination in the state.

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SECTION 2:

Traffic, Transportation, & Redevelopment

RESIDENTIAL STREET PAVING: Based on constituent feedback, sorely needed street paving will occur throughout the fall and spring. These include Warren St. (Essex to Dudley), Colgate (1st to 3rd), 6th St. (Manila to Erie & Jersey to Brunswick), Manila (City Line to Boyle Plaza), & Brunswick (Newark to Columbus Dr.) In addition:

? Grand Street is now being repaved between Jersey Avenue and Marin Blvd.
? Christopher Columbus Drive will be half paved this fall and the other half in spring.

TRAFFIC LIGHTS: Several new traffic lights have been approved by the City and will be constructed in the next 6-9 months. These are:

? 9th & Marin
? Christopher Columbus & Warren
? Montgomery & Warren
? Washington/Second/Greene (more than 9 months, but in the works)

GREENE STREET OPENING: There are many agencies to coordinate between the light rail, State, and City. We are now scheduled to have the street entirely open by spring of 2009.

PATH: For far too long the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has shortchanged New Jersey?s Hudson River communities with infrequent evening/weekend PATH service and sorely neglected stations. The decades-long resurgence of culture and commerce on both sides has increased ridership and demand, but the Port Authority has allowed heavily-utilized infrastructure in New Jersey to deteriorate. The Port Authority can do better for New Jersey, and this is why Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason and I have organized the Fix My Path campaign to press for our demands. For more information and to sign our petition, go to: www.fixmypath.com

In addition, the Grove Street PATH station?s new entrance will be updated to include elevator access in order to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Port Authority sustainability guidelines. We know many of you have been concerned about this and rest assured $5.5 million has been allocated toward improvements for the Gove Street station. We will update you on the timeline as soon as we hear back from the Port Authority.

BUS SHELTERS: The City is issuing an updated RFP (Request for Proposal) for replacement and/or new bus shelters. If you would like a bus shelter, please let us know and we will submit your collective site proposals. Please be as specific as possible about the locations.

NEWARK AVE REDEVELOPMENT: This winter the new streetscape construction will begin on Newark Avenue. This will include new lighting, street furniture, sidewalks, and crosswalks. This renovation is being funded by a $2mm state grant focused on the Newark Avenue?s potential to really strengthen and revitalize the area.

This past month the Council passed a new redevelopment plan for the south side of Newark Ave (and North Side of Christopher Columbus) with the clear objective of creating a pedestrian friendly experience and transitioning from ?99 cent? stores to restaurants. Additionally, by the end of October, an RFP (Request for Proposal) will be made public for the city to sell the Employment and Training building located at the end of Newark Avenue, across from the PATH, with the goal of using this building as a retail anchor for the rest of Newark Avenue.
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SECTION 3:
Open Space

HAMILTON PARK RENOVATION: We have come a long way with this process by building consensus and securing the funding for the park?s renovation. This past summer the RFP went out to potential bidders and the contract was awarded to the lowest bidder. While this is positive, the start of the renovation was unavoidably delayed when one of the losing bidders contested the award based on a procedural concern with the bid process. The process will proceed with a new RFP to be issued this month.

J. OWEN GRUNDY PIER: Named after the late historian, this city park is located by Exchange Place. Re-opened to the public this past summer after an extensive year long renovation, the new park is nothing short of spectacular. I would urge you to take some time to enjoy this massive improvement that the City Council and the administration worked diligently to improve. J Owen Grundy Park

HOBOKEN/JERSEY CITY WALKWAY: Construction has started this summer on connecting the Hoboken and Jersey City waterfronts via a pedestrian walkway. This has been a much anticipated project, which will further expand Jersey City's accessibility and world class waterfront views. The walkway is scheduled to be complete by the end of next spring.

PAULUS HOOK PARK: This park (located at the end of Greene Street in Paulus Hook) is now scheduled to begin extensive renovation next year.
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SECTION 4:
Education Update

ETHICAL COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL: Received its charter and is working to find space and staff in order to be up and running for the 2009-2010 school year. For more information go here: Click HERE!

REMINDER: On November 4th we will be voting as to whether we want an elected or appointed Jersey City Board of Education.

This message was sent by: Fulop for Jersey City, Ward "E", Jersey City, NJ 07302