I was out several times yesterday and was genuinely encouraged to see so many sidewalks, curb ramps, and intersections cleared. There are still some trouble spots - a big one was 14th Street near Park and Willow. County resources have been stretched countywide, but when neighbors reached out about that location, the County responded quickly and made a huge difference. #MoreVoices

I also want to give a special thank-you to Nora DeBenedetto (our head of Constituent Services) and our Sanitation Inspectors team for responding immediately to a report about a massive snow pile completely blocking the sidewalk at the BP gas station.

Before picture sent to me by a neighbor.

What to know this morning:

You will see front loaders and trucks around town as the City continues its snow removal efforts.  For today:

• All of the CITY Emergency Snow Routes are now open for parking
• COUNTY Snow Routes - Observer Highway and Willow Avenue - remain in effect and are still subject to towing.
• Street cleaning remains suspended until further notice
• Meter enforcement resumes tomorrow
• Senior programming is cancelled until further notice due to HVAC issues at the Multi-Service Center
• PATH, NJ Transit and NYWW are all operating regular schedules.  Expect delays this morning on the 126 bus  in and out of the tunnel due to a traffic accident.  NY Waterway has not issued any delays, but the ice in the river continues to be an impedement and I imagine there will be some delays.

What I am hearing from residents:

A few consistent and thoughtful ideas came up yesterday:

• Can Hoboken have an organized snow-shoveler program?  Several residents suggested Hoboken consider a program similar to NYC’s Emergency Snow Shovelers (and not unlike the Buffalo Bills program to shovel out the stadium!).  It is an organized, City-funded effort that pays residents to help dig out after major storms. I think this is worth a serious consideration.

• Reconsidering shoveling guidelines:  One resident suggested that, counterintuitive as it sounds, placing shoveled snow into the roadway could allow plows to consolidate snow into locations that are easier to access and remove, rather than trapping it along the curb line.
• A great idea from Canada 🍁!  This was sent to me by a few people - about whether the City or County could deploy a machine like this to easily remove snow.  I think this is a great idea for the County, maybe less so for Hoboken to incur the cost and storage needed for it given how few storms we have.

• Fairness idea for enforcement.  A number of neighbors raised concerns about ticketing beginning while some City-owned sidewalks remained impassable, including around Stevens Park. The suggestion: as a policy, ensure City properties are fully cleared before enforcement begins on private ones. I understand the ask and worth considering, but I think there could be unintended consequences that would impact safety of residents.
• Who is responsible for bus stops & access to the street.  I believed it was NJ Transit, however, Mayor Jabbour confirmed in an email that it is actually the City’s responsibility, and crews are actively working through remaining locations.

Ice on the Hudson

It seems like it would be every year, but it isn’t.  In the 31 years I have lived here, I think this is maybe the 5th or 6th time I have seen this.  Other than the challenges it imposes to boats, it is a beautiful sight to see.  I took this photo below yesterday.  Everything white in the river is ice.

This morning the ice seems a little less than yesterday, even though it is colder.    

ABC7 captured dramatic drone footage of ferries and boats navigating the ice. You can watch it here (click photo):

It is warming up a little today, and if you can, take a walk to the waterfront and see some of this for yourself.

Reminder there is a City Council meeting tonight (7pm, click to watch),

Thank you to everyone who is reaching out and engaging around this storm.  There is no bad question or idea - I appreciate them all and will keep sharing them.  And a huge thank you to our OEM teams, and City and County leaders who are helping navigate through this challenge.  Do not hesitate to reach out to discuss this or anything else important to you.  My number is 201-208-1674. #EngageInformAdvocate