In a letter to the editor, Hoboken 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo, a mayoral candidate, weighs in on the NJ Transit engineers strike impacting the Mile Square City.
Dear Editor,
Hoboken is in gridlock. Jersey Avenue is shut down. Construction has clogged major streets throughout our city. And now, with New Jersey Transit engineers on strike and PATH service disruptions looming, New Jersey’s busiest transit hub is teetering on the edge.
To every commuter stuck in traffic, late to work, or having to change their entire morning: I hear you. This isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a breakdown. A failure. And it didn’t need to be this way.
Let me be frank: I support the transit engineers. No one strikes because they want to; this is their first strike since 1983. They do it because they’ve been ignored, pushed to the brink, and left without options.
These are the essential workers who keep our region moving. When they’re raising their voices, it means they haven’t been heard in a long time.
But let’s be even clearer: Hoboken didn’t cause this crisis, yet we are largely the ones paying for it. Once again, our city is caught in the crossfire of mismanagement at higher levels.
We had no plan and no backup, despite reasonably assuming what was coming down the pipeline.
Our residents and commuters are paying the price for decisions made far outside City Hall—yet the current Administration and its allies stood by and let it happen. As Mayor, I won’t let Hoboken be walked all over. Not by NJ Transit. Not by Trenton. Not by anyone. Ever!
This isn’t just about a strike—it’s about leadership. When tensions were rising and contracts were about to expire, Hoboken’s current leadership should have insisted on being in the conversation and stepped in.
We should have had contingency plans ready. We should have coordinated street management and communicated clearly with commuters. Instead the city reacted late, planned less, and said almost nothing.
We can support labor and protect our residents. That’s not idealism; that’s competent governance. And it’s what Hoboken deserves. As Mayor, I’ll be ready long before the crisis hits.
We will coordinate with unions, transit agencies, and infrastructure partners to avoid bottlenecks. We will communicate with clarity—not after people are stuck, but before. And we will never allow Hoboken to be sidelined in someone else’s chaos.
This moment is bigger than transit. It’s about whether Hoboken is a city that gets ignored when it matters most, or one that demands respect and prepares for what’s next.
I’m running for Mayor because I know Hoboken is worth fighting for. I will fight for workers. I will fight for commuters. And I will fight like hell to make sure our city is never disrespected again.
Mike Russo
Hoboken 3rd Ward councilman, candidate for mayor
This dude just says stuff he thinks will get him elected. He has no plan, he’s a phony.
This guy has been on city council for 20+ years and has tried to limit progress each year. He ain’t leadership — he’s a criminal trying to rebrand himself and whitewash his entire persona. And shame on half the corrupt Hoboken BOE who let him do it. Chetali and Sheillah are the sheep who just follow a guy who says they look nice.
He is right about the importance of leadership in resolving this issue. What the Councilman neglects to mention is that truly effective leadership requires Trust. Do 50% of Hoboken voters trust Michael Russo? Do 50% even know his father went to prison for crimes committed while in office? Time for some history lessons….
Just heard that Corrupt Russo is running with two morons who are being bankrolled by keeth barxdale
I guess that ppl who file for bankruptcy stick together