MONDAY (TOMORROW) MORNING MADNESS
15th Street will be closed at Garden for the next 3 months. Expect delays during busy times and adjust your travel accordingly.
- Full Access: Hudson Tea, Park & Garden garages, and 1500 Garden lot.
- Street Parking: Restricted weekdays on Bloomfield bet. 14th & 15th for school drop-offs.
- Traffic: Police will be available 24/7 to assist with traffic and pedestrian safety.
I will be outside at 15th and Washington beginning at 7:30 AM to monitor the situation and support our neighbors who are expected to experience delays. Project managers, city representatives and Hoboken OEM and PD will be in the area as well. Please join me and/or stop by to say hello or talk to me about any issues on your mind. If you have any questions, concerns or observations you want to share, please do not hesitate to reach out. I appreciate your patience during this time and am working hard to reduce the impact on our neighborhood. I will send out updates when I have them.
Here are answers to three questions I’ve been asked recently about this closure:
WHAT IS THE WORK BEING DONE?
It’s part of the Rebuild By Design anti-flooding project. The storm barrier being built includes gates that will slide into place during a super storm. At 15th, the gate will be hidden under the new Cove Park berm and will slide diagonally across 15th, locking with the barrier wall being built along the west side of the LAZ Parking garage. This 3-month project will install the underground infrastructure strong enough to hold back the Hudson River. This includes screwing in piles (not driving them) and installing large concrete structures similar to what you see happening in Cove Park. At every point where the barrier crosses a street, this process will need to be repeated, including on Bloomfield between 14th and 15th and at 14th and Washington—which will require closing 14th between The Madison and SoulCycle. These will happen in early 2025.
DO I THINK IT WILL TAKE ONLY 3 MONTHS?
I do. This contractor—EE Cruz—is the real deal. Check out their website to see the many projects they’ve completed. So far, they’ve been ahead of schedule. Also, unlike many of our older streets in Hoboken, 15th Street has more recent infrastructure built in the last 10-30 years. When we re-did Washington Street in 2017, the project took a whole year longer because the contractor found a maze of uncharted pipes and coal storage tanks underground. In summary, I remain confident the project will be completed on time, though I'll be keeping my fingers crossed the entire time.
WILL THEY PUT BACK THE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS?
Yes. As you know, after several years, we finally found a solution to the pedestrian safety concerns at this intersection with the pedestrian signs, flashing lights, and the island in the middle of the road. I understand these will be reinstalled, and it’s likely that the entire intersection will be raised, similar to what we did at Sinatra Drive North and Constitution Ct (across from Pier 13). Everyone involved is focused on making this intersection—one of the gateways to the new Cove Park—as safe as possible.
HAVE WE INFORMED PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF HOBOKEN?
Yes. The City can and will update google maps and waze in the morning, so anyone using their GPS to come to town will see the road closure. Also, I reached out to the Jersey Journal, TapInto, Patch, and Hudson County View and asked if they could write about this so more people outside of Hoboken know. City officials have spoken with NJ Transit who said they will inform bus drivers of potential delays. And I spoke with Weehawken's Business Administrator and the Hudson County Transportation engineer on Friday and let them know about the project (they had not been made aware) in case either has to make accomodations regarding potential traffic delays. All this said, this week will be a work in process, but I am hopeful that after a few days people will make adjustments to their travel plans and we will see some easing.
MARITIME PARK - SKATE PARK PUBLIC MEETING
The only other thing I want to mention today is Tuesday’s meeting about the Maritime Park Skate Park.
Where: Castle Point Skate Park
When: Tuesday, September 17th @ 5pm
Come and share your ideas with the City’s skatepark design team from SCAPE Studios and Action Sports Design. I’ve heard from several of you in the community who are active users of the skate park, including many adults as well as kids. I hope you’ll join me at the meeting! But if you can't make it in person, you can fill out the online survey and provide your input.
I’ll be at 15th and Washington in the morning until about 9:00 AM, after which I’ll head to Choco Pain with some neighbors for coffee, breakfast, and to help write postcards for Pennsylvania with Uniting for Harris-Walz 2024. I know not everyone supports this ticket, but if you do, you're welcome to join us!
As always, please share this with everyone you know who may be interested and reach out any time on any issue important to you: 201-208-1764 or [email protected].
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