Dear Resident,
I hope you enjoyed the long weekend! I wanted to stay in touch and provide you with some positive developments for Hoboken as my administration enters its eighth week since I took office.
$1 million awarded for Transportation projects
I’m thrilled to announce today that Hoboken will receive $1 million from the State Department of Transportation for important transportation related projects! This is a significant upgrade from previous years, and the $1 million will be invested directly in our City through important pedestrian safety initiatives, road repair, and other projects. Governor Murphy and I spoke several times after our elections about the importance of investing in our transportation infrastructure in Hoboken, and I thank him and his staff for recognizing this need and allocating $1 million for our City.
Hoboken’s AA+ Bond rating
Last week, Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings reaffirmed Hoboken’s excellent AA+ bond rating, the second highest rating a municipality can receive. S&P cited our very strong economy, strong budgetary performance, very strong budgetary flexibility, and very strong liquidity. As I mentioned on the campaign trail, I’m 100% committed to being Hoboken’s infrastructure Mayor, and this reaffirmation of our bond status will help us improve the quality of life for our residents by allowing us to invest in our roads, water mains, and more, while being responsible with taxpayer money.
Park upgrades
I’m pleased to let you know that the City has finalized plans to upgrade Madison Street Park, located at 3rd and Madison Street. Thanks to the input of residents, the new park design will upgrade and replace old park equipment, and will include interactive playground features for children ages 2-12, overhead sprinkler, shade structures, a rubberized safety surface, restroom, shaded tree areas, and more. Click here to view the final design. I look forward to opening this renovated park!
I also wanted to remind you that we will be holding a community meeting on February 27 at 7:00 pm at the Wallace School (1100 Willow Avenue) to seek input from the public for our Northwest Resiliency Park. Based on your previous input, two park options will be presented to the public at this meeting for consideration. I’m excited for this park to take shape, which will become Hoboken’s largest park. I’m also committed to following through on ensuring the park includes flood resiliency measures, including the ability to withhold 1 million gallons of rainwater.
Bike Share
Hudson Bike Share, after debuting in Hoboken, is taking off across Hudson County, with new stations now located in Weehawken, Union City, Guttenberg, Bayonne, West New York, and more to come (anyone with a membership can rent a bike at any of these stations at no extra cost). Recently, in partnership with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, both Hoboken and Jersey City are soliciting feedback from residents on the addition of Citi Bike stations in Hoboken, and Hudson Bike Share stations in Jersey City. Both Mayor Fulop and I are committed to providing alternative transportation options and connectivity between our two cities. If you have any thoughts on Citi Bike and Hudson Bike share, please feel free to send me your feedback.
As always, I look forward to staying in touch in the weeks to come! Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Ravi S. Bhalla
Hoboken Mayor