This hearty Rochester girl is tired of the cold. I’m taking Brownie to Florida today for a quick visit with a friend, back Sunday, in search of a little warmth and sunshine.  Wait what?  You say its unseasonably cold down there too?

As my glass-half-full friend (who is joining me) put it: yes, but 50 is still warmer than here (not to rub it in). The one “upside”? I don’t even have to pull out summer clothes to pack. Argh.

On a serious note: although I’ll be out of town for about 48 hours, I will be monitoring conditions closely and continuing to update you on recovery efforts.

What to know this morning:

• Street cleaning remains suspended until further notice

• Overnight snow removal begins Sunday night. Because the city does not have the machines, it has (finally) engaged an outside contractor to perform overnight snow removal from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am, starting with the full length of Bloomfield Street.

  • If you are parked on Bloomfield, you must move your car by Sunday at 6:00 pm or your car will be towed.

  • Signs will be posted today.

  • Removal is expected to occur in two directions, starting at each end.  

  • Blocks will be restored for parking as they are completed.

  • The city has not yet provided the schedule for additional streets

• Overnight garage parking available: Residents can use the existing $6 overnight resident permit rate at Garages B, D, and the Midtown Garage.  Important: Unlike the $5 / 24 hour storm special, you must enter after 6pm and exit by 8am or the city’s daily rate applies.  Note - this rate is available all the time.  

• Bloomfield Street will be closed overnight Sunday, so please plan accordingly if you’re traveling. There is no block-by-block schedule for the closure - the road will reopen as blocks are completed.

• Willow Avenue bridge: The County is addressing conditions there this morning ahead of the commute. Insufficient snow removal caused significant delays in both directions yesterday.

• Transit: Buses and trains are operating. Ferries continue to experience delays due to ice in the river. If you’re out commuting, please let me know how it’s going by emailing me (preferred) or texting.  Emailing lets me easily forward to the appropriate person to assist.  But I will take a text if easier for you.

• Meter enforcement has resumed.

• The lack of a snow removal plan.  The City’s announcement last night - starting Sunday night and initially focusing on one north-south street - is both welcome and frustrating. Why did it take so long? The good news: Hoboken has now engaged an outside contractor to begin this work Sunday night.  To be clear, Hoboken does not own the equipment needed for true snow removal, which is why this required bringing in outside help.

• Can’t we just melt the snow or put it in the river? No. Snow cannot be dumped directly into the river, it must go through the sewer system first, where it is treated. Hoboken also no longer has a snow melter (although still listed on the website). The City previously owned a used one that was costly to operate, and while the NHSA has a melter, it is not currently operable. For now, snow will be piled in designated locations, including Jefferson Street near 14th, with additional staging areas under consideration.

• Overnight snow removal: residents want it.Thank you to the 45 neighbors who responded to my survey. Only two people opposed overnight removal. And only 4 of the yes’s were from buildings like mine that do not have the same street frontage / noise issue.  The message is clear: people want the snow removed.  I haven’t had a chance to fully aggregate all of your suggestions yet, but I’ll do that on my flight and share them both with the City and with you. Thank you for the thoughtful ideas.

• Garbage Collection Results:  Sounds like neighbors had a mostly good experience with garbage and recycling collection this week, with some reporting that some of their garbage was picked up or not at all.  If this is you, please email [email protected] and report it.  Thank you for the feedback.

• Intersection crossings are improving!  This has been a major focus of the City’s:  ensuring safe pedestrian passage. I drove around yesterday and not only did most crossings look clear, they looked dry.  If you see a crossing that is still only wide enough for one person in snow boots, please email [email protected].  This has effectively become the storm response clearinghouse for snow related issues.

• Re-shoveling frustrations.Many of you are understandably frustrated after clearing corners and sidewalks only to have plows push snow back. The City is aware and continuing to focus on keeping curb ramps accessible.    

• Salt: a quick myth-buster.Salt becomes far less effective as temperatures approach 15°F and stops working altogether below that. In extreme cold, simply throwing salt on ice or slush is not enough.  It needs to be fully cleared to keep sidewalks safe.

• Bus stops that still need to be cleared.  The City is responding to reports of uncleared bus stops. Please continue sending locations to [email protected].  Happy to be cc’d to follow up.

• Sidewalks near schools - who is responsible?. Sidewalks and curb ramps around schools are the responsibility of the schools themselves. The crossings are either the City’s or County’s responsibility.  We heard a lot of frustration this week, particularly around Wallace Elementary. This isn’t about finger-pointing, but it does highlight the need for better coordination in advance. The City focused heavily on its role to ensure schools could open quickly, and this is a lesson learned for next time.

• Why not city-wide snow removal all at once?  Simply put: we don’t have the parking capacity. With the 916 Garden garage closed, the 11th & Willow lot closed, the Midtown Garage partially unavailable, and more cars than ever, there’s nowhere to put them while we remove the snow.  Bloomfield Street alone has roughly 400 parking spaces. Most side streets have 125–200. Our garages cannot absorb that volume.

• How is all of this being paid for? The city has a storm recovery trust it will use to help fund the additional costs of addressing this storm.

A quick note on my “present” vote Wednesday night on the allocation of PILOT dollars to our public schools, because several people have reached out. As you know, I worked very hard and was instrumental to make these types of allocations possible, and my vote does not change my support for them or for our public schools - all of them.

As I have raised and reported to you repeatedly over the years, I believe the settlement of the Western Edge Redevelopment, the now massive project on Hoboken’s west side - which this PILOT payment is tied to - was deeply flawed and that Mayor Bhalla violated state law and was conflicted when he negotiated it, placing his own political interests ahead of Hoboken residents and taxpayers. My vote on matters relating to this project continues to reflect that position. If I believed this allocation was at risk of failing or needed my vote to pass, I would have voted to ensure it moved forward.

You can always count on me to fight for our public schools - again, all of them - and to act in the best interests of Hoboken residents.

Back to Storm Day 6 and where we are landing. I’m glad to see overnight snow removal added to the plan after I raised it at our City Council meeting, though I wish it were starting sooner. I will continue advocating for a resident-first approach to this recovery and pushing for relief as quickly as possible.  Please keep the messages coming.  Your feedback matters, and it is shaping these conversations in real time. We are all in this together, and your voices are the most important ones.  #MoreVoicesAreAlwaysBetter.

Mark your calendar:  the next Team Hoboken Fridays @ 5 is NEXT Friday, February 6th!  We are working on a location now and will let you know!  Do not hesitate to reach out to discuss this or anything else important to you.  My number is 201-208-1674.