Jersey City Mayor James Solomon has named Andy Kaplan as the new Department of Infrastructure director, while Annisia Cialone will have her acting title removed and remain the head of the Department of Housing Economic Development & Commerce (HEDC).
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
As is the case with all directorships, both will require Jersey City Council approval and are expected to receive a vote at the March 25th meeting.
“Andy and Annisia are exactly the kind of leaders Jersey City needs right now. Andy has spent his entire career making transportation systems safer, smarter, and more equitable through Vision Zero, and he lives here, he knows our infrastructure, and he is genuinely invested in our community,” Solomon said in a statement.
“And Annisia has already proven herself in this role for nearly eight years. She knows HEDC inside and out, she knows our neighborhoods, and she knows how to deliver an affordable Jersey City for our residents. I am proud to make both of these appointments official.”
A Jersey City resident and award-winning transportation professional engineer, Kaplan brings more than 15 years of experience in transportation safety, operations, and planning to the cabinet-level role.
Cialone, who has led HEDC since August 2018, brings nearly eight years of institutional leadership and a deep command of the city’s housing, planning, and economic development landscape.
“I am honored to serve the city I call home and am raising my children in. Jersey City has incredible momentum and an opportunity to build infrastructure that allows our community to travel to school, work and friends — safely — no matter if they are walking, cycling, taking transit or driving,” noted Kaplan.
“I look forward to working alongside Mayor Solomon, our dedicated city teams, and the community to make that vision a reality.”
Kaplan also solved on Solomon’s Transit and Transportation Policy Committee and was also on the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and also previously oversaw the traffic engineering operations, for the Port of New York and New Jersey.
“It is a privilege to step fully into this role and continue the work we have been building together,” noted Cialone.
“From affordable housing and equitable transit-oriented development to supporting our small businesses and protecting tenants, the work of this department touches the daily lives of every Jersey City resident. I am grateful for Mayor Solomon’s confidence and look forward to delivering for the people of this city.”
As infrastructure director, Kaplan will oversee the city’s engineering, architectural design, traffic engineering, transportation planning, and sustainability functions, reporting directly to the Business Administrator.
As HEDC Director, Cialone will continue to lead the department’s nine divisions — spanning city planning, zoning, construction code, commerce, economic development, community development, housing preservation, affordable housing, and tenant’s Right to Counsel.
Her permanent appointment is effective immediately.
Congratulations to Andy Kaplan on his appointment.
He was involved in the advocacy debates around Hoboken’s e-bike safety law — a law that required numbered high-visibility vests for delivery riders and a basic traffic safety quiz.
During that process, arguments were pushed that these types of requirements could be legally questionable or expose cities to lawsuits. The law ultimately passed, remains in effect, and was never challenged.
Meanwhile, Jersey City is dealing with a very real problem: delivery e-bikes routinely ignoring basic rules of the road, especially on sidewalks.
So it’s fair to ask: can residents trust that our new infrastructure leadership will prioritize their safety, not just the safety and convenience of e-bike riders?