How did the reader’s polls turn out?
To see the results of our unscientific reader polls on the questions “Is an 18-story office building a good idea for the NJ Transit area?” and “Do you drink unfiltered Hoboken water?” log onto www.hudsonreporter.com, and check out the Hoboken section.
Hoboken woman shot in uptown Clinton Street apartment
A 64-year-old Hoboken woman was shot to death at 1024 Clinton St on Thursday morning. The woman was not identified by the police.
The woman suffered a shot to the head with a 12-gauge shotgun. Police Lt. Mark Competello, of the Hoboken Police Department, said the blast caused “massive, massive trauma,” in a report on NJ.com.
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office is the lead investigative agency in the case.
Calls to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office were not returned by press time.
Hoboken: Surrender your permit
Hoboken is notorious for its lack of parking. To help combat the problem, the city has announced an incentive-laden program to encourage residents to consider alternative modes of transportation. According to a city press release, residents who surrender a parking permit at the Hoboken Parking Utility will receive an incentive package valued at more than $500.
Since the Hertz Connect car rental program was introduced in June, nine residents have turned in their parking permits. When the program started in June, city officials said the program would take 750 cars off the street. In September, Parking Director Ian Sacs said it was “entirely feasible to [expect] 42 to 50 permits to be given up in six months’ time.”
The city is hoping the new incentives will encourage residents to give up their cars.
Hertz Connect has been the cause of some controversy in Hoboken. Business owners have said the program is hurting business because it leads to a lack of parking on corners near their stores. However, according to a city press release, more than 500 residents are now members of the Corner Cars program.
Construction to begin on Hudson Place pedestrian safety improvements
The city of Hoboken earlier this week announced that Phase I construction of improved pedestrian safety and walkway features immediately in front of the PATH headhouses along Hudson Place is scheduled to begin on or about Oct. 19.
Phase I consists of a full replacement of the southern sidewalk along Hudson Place between Hudson and River Streets, as well as an extension of that sidewalk to significantly widen the walkway, reduce the congestion felt by pedestrians along this roadway segment, and deter jaywalking. Curb extensions will be included at the corners to reduce crossing distances and exposure to motor vehicles for pedestrians. Phase I of the project also includes narrower vehicle travel lanes to calm traffic in this area of high pedestrian activity. During construction, this side of Hudson Place will be inaccessible to pedestrians over the course of the six-week project.
Governor kills Trans-Hudson tunnel
Gov. Christopher Christie has cancelled plans for the Access to the Regions Core (ARC) tunnel, one of the largest and most expensive infrastructure projects in U.S. history, in the making for two decades, out of concern for the eventual cost of the project.
Last month, through NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein, Christie imposed a 30-day suspension on work to re-evaluate the tunnel’s construction budget.
The $8.7 billion NJ Transit project, also known as the Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel, broke ground in June 2009. The two-track tunnel was supposed to nearly double the number of trains traveling between New Jersey and New York, from the current 23 per hour to 48, and provide 44,000 permanent jobs. The cancellation of the tunnel could cost as many as 6,000 local construction jobs, according to reports.
The Federal Transportation Authority had pledged $3 billion and the Port Authority has promised an additional $3 billion, leaving New Jersey with a $2.7 billion bill.
In the wake of the freeze, which had allowed North Hudson work to continue, U.S. Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez (both D-Hudson), said that if the project were to be halted, New Jersey stood to lose the largest amount of federal funding ever awarded to a transportation project. Lautenberg amplified those remarks in press interviews, saying the cancellation could mean New Jersey would owe the federal government as much as $300 million.
“The state wants to walk away from its responsibility, that is the critical problem…because he [Christie] wants to use these funds that were dedicated to the project and put it into the [State] Transportation Trust Fund,” Menendez said on Friday. The senator said the governor’s decision leaves New Jerseyans with a “$600 million hole in the ground.”
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