Dear Editor:
Each Hoboken City Council meeting begins with a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance. As everyone remembers from grade school, this pledge ends with the line “With Liberty and Justice for all.” Well, it seems that in Hoboken, perhaps we should change the “all” to read “for Hobokenites only”.
I remain aghast after learning for the first time at Wednesday’s council meeting that City Hall, under the direction of the inimitable Mayor Anthony Russo, planned to close the northern end of town to non-Hobokenites. Signs were put up and flyers handed out Wednesday, April 4, alerting all out-of-towners that from 7 am to 9 am, they could not enter Hoboken the following morning. I have so many issues and concerns with this so-called “plan” that I don’t even know where to begin. In deference to brevity, I will stick to the biggest problems.
Legality – How could this possibly be legal? If we were to re-direct traffic for all cars, perhaps one could make the legal argument that there is a life-safety issue at stake. But in what democratic city, state, country is it legal to say “Yes” you live in my town, we will let you enter, but sorry to you Mister, you don’t live here “get out”?? Does the City really want to get bogged down in another lawsuit?
Two words –Pay Back! Let’s assume that somehow this is legal and we implement this misguided plan. Does anyone think that the surrounding towns won’t do the same thing to us? My husband commutes every day through Weehawken to get to the Lincoln Tunnel. What happens to him, and the many other Hobokenites who make that same commute, if Weehawken arbitrarily decided to shut us out? Did anyone in City Hall think about that?
Planning — If a City is to decide to implement a plan as contentious and disruptive as this one, wouldn’t it be wise to take the time to properly notify all involved, work with surrounding towns to limit disruption, and allow local businesses to plan accordingly? What’s the big rush, Mayor Russo? Could it be the election looming only four weeks away? Sure seems like it to me.
As much as I want the traffic situation resolved in Hoboken, I know this reactionary, illegal and poorly planned concept is not the solution. Let’s take the time to digest the entire Traffic Study (recall we’ve only seen Phase I) and holistically work to solve Hoboken’s traffic problem. We all know it is much bigger than shutting out some cars from the morning rush.
Fran Sachs