Russo unveils Hoboken parking and transportation plan, Town Hall event

In the latest sign he has the mayor’s seat on his mind, Hoboken 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo unveiled his parking and transportation plan today, also announcing a Town Hall event to hear from residents at the end of the month.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

“Hoboken faces constant challenges related to parking and transportation management. In order to serve residents first while fostering a great experience for commuters and visitors, we need to take a look at what’s working and what’s not,” Russo said in a statement.

The proposal, written in consultation with local experts and community leaders, is divided into six key areas of improvement: parking garage infrastructure, encouraging the use of bicycles; reinventing the city’s Hop shuttle, improving safety and street parking, rethinking the deployment of parklets, and finally, addressing the impact of trucks on local traffic.

“These are all proposals that would dynamically contribute to the flow of people throughout Hoboken, provide adequate parking capacity for the level of demand, and encourage alternative modes of transportation. Not every solution will match every part of the city—and it will require a strategic approach with the big picture in mind in order to make these things work together,” Russo wrote in the plan.

“Of course, this coin has two equally important sides: the City Council will have to adopt ordinances, and the next administration will be charged with implementing and enforcing them with clarity and consistency. I’m confident that we can build a coalition to make these changes happen. As long as the residents of Hoboken are with us, we can accomplish anything.”

Russo has also announced a public parking and transportation town hall event, to be held at 10th and Willow Bar & Grill in Hoboken, on May 29th at 6:30 p.m.

Hoboken residents and stakeholders are invited to come share their thoughts about parking and transportation, and can register for the event here.

“If Hoboken residents know one thing about me, it’s that I’m a public servant who listens,” added Russo. This town hall will give my team and I an additional opportunity to hear from the community–as I have been doing for the past 20 years–and glean more insights that will help us make Hoboken even better,” the councilman added.

Russo also noted that this proposal/Town Hall combination is the first in a series that will occur over the coming months.