The Jersey City Parking Division will resume street sweeping next Monday after suspending all parking regulations on March 20th and Mayor Steven Fulop says it will likely only last one week.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Next week we will return alternate side of the street parking rules (April 6-10) as we need to clean the streets,” Fulop tweeted this morning.
“We are seeing an increase in everything from regular trash to medical masks etc. Please let your neighbors know – We’ll do our best to make sure people are aware[.]”
The mayor said this will be done “quickly and properly” next week before relaxing the rules again, emphasizing that “cleanliness is important.”
Jersey City initially suspended their parking regulations after remote schooling plans went into effect to limit coronavirus exposure/spread, also giving residents the opportunity to park in most school lots during the state of emergency.
As of yesterday, there were 974 cases of COVID-19 in Hudson County, the third most in the state per county, according to the New Jersey Department of Health, and Jersey City’s latest tally was 334 cases after opening two testing sites on Friday.
Please help us appeal to Jersey City Mayor Fulop, and to any other Hudson county city mayors to cancel any plan of resuming street cleaning by publishing this open letter:
Dear Mayor Fulop,
Why are we resuming street cleaning by April 6th? I believe this is uncalled for because of the TV-aired worsening COVID-19 virus spread. Also:
1) There’s not much dirt because nobody will litter as everyone is NOT supposed to be outside.
2) We are ordered to stay at home – how can you let us go outside driving round and round nearby blocks looking for parking.
3) New York City, is a lot bigger city than us – but had extended suspension of street cleaning.
4) most people whose cars are parked and not being moved from where they are I believe belong to people like me, senior citizens who are deemed vulnerable to the virus.
This street cleaning contradicts with what you want us to do – stay at
Home.
Not everyone has a driveway or they may have more cars to fit in their garage. When everyone is going outside to move their cars, they do not easily find a nearby street parking because space was already reduced by your corner parking deterrent poles.
So, people who may or may not have the virus walk a couple of blocks away from their homes – and when they sneeze or cough – seniors or even non-seniors who are nearby walking back to their homes will get the virus that may be floating or tossed by the wind for the next 9 hours. Or step on it if it falls on the street and bring the virus home.
Based on the above, are we not encouraging further virus spread by forcing people to go outside – just to “Move their cars for street cleaning” – when parks are even ordered closed?
I admire you to be a sensible man Dear Mayor, please discard this idea from whoever it is who may have suggested it. The City will not stink for another month as the garbage collectors are doing a great job – maybe, just issue a directive that “residents try to clean up litters in front of their homes during garbage collection days†– when they are already out anyway.
Or, worse scenario, just consider this like one of those “snowy days†where street
Cleaning is suspended till snow disappears.
Please don’t expose us to further danger or do not be an instrument in further spreading the virus in this great City of Jersey City. Please extend the street cleaning suspension according to however the Federal and local governments extend the “stay-at-home” directive.
Thank you and
Yours sincerely,
Tony Pormento
Jersey City Resident
Where should we post this message
In addition to the above, I also appeal to Jersey City residents and businesses, to
promise ourselves, since we’re all in this together, to really help keep our city clean by picking up litter – in front of our residences and/or businesses during garbage collection days to toe the line with our dear Mayor Fulop’s drive and concern to keep our city streets clean.
Thank you.
Tony Pormento
Jersey City Resident
I can’t believe the city would prey on its citizens like this. This decision to enforce alternative side parking should have never happened. It goes to show who we voted for. Someone that’s trying to profit off of our misfortunes.
Even the CDS sweepers that the commercial district business pays for are not working.