Jersey City to do traffic study on Western Slope
Mayor Steven Fulop announced last week that the city will commission a traffic study to look at turning many of the narrow, two-way streets in the Western Slope neighborhood of The Heights one-way to improve access for emergency vehicles, including fire trucks and plows.
“One of the lessons we learned during the last storm was how difficult it was for plows to make it through the narrow streets in the Western Slope,” said Mayor Fulop. “I personally saw the challenges many of our plows had during the blizzard, so we will be surveying the entire grid and will make recommendations for the creation of one-way streets where feasible. This will be a process where the community is fully engaged and involved with the goal of improving services for this community.”
By turning the streets one-way, the streets will become wider, allowing for easier passage of large vehicles. Currently, the city is in the process of soliciting price quotes from engineering firms and will evaluate those proposals to hire a traffic engineer.
Once an engineer is hired, they will survey the entire Western Slope grid, make recommendations and will engage the community to get feedback and comments throughout the process.
Jersey City unemployment rate lowest in 25 years
Recent figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics show that Jersey City’s unemployment rate is at the lowest it has been in 25 years, dropping from a onetime high of 8 percent to 4.1 percent.
Two Jersey City-based organizations win NJ Yelp Grant
Two Jersey City-based nonprofits have been awarded grants from the Yelp Foundation Gives Local community grant contest. New City Kids, which provides teen leadership development and performing arts opportunities to at-risk, low-income children and teenagers in Jersey City, won the first place $5,000 grant. Rising Tide Capital, a nonprofit that empowers underserved entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses throughout northern New Jersey won the second place $3,000 grant.
The Yelp Gives Local community grant contest held in December 2015 encouraged community members in 75 U.S. cities to support local organizations by voting on the Yelp website. More than 160,000 votes in communities across the United States were cast in the contest. In each market $10,000 in grants were up for grabs for a total of $750,000 donated to local nonprofits.
Liberty Humane Society hosts adoption promotion
Liberty Humane Society is hosting its first adoption promotion of 2016 from Feb. 1 to 14, waiving adoption fees on animals four months and older for qualified adopters.
All animals adopted from Liberty Humane Society are spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped before they are sent home.
Adoption fees at Liberty Humane Society range from $120 (for adult cats) to $225 (for dogs). These fees help support the independent and non-profit Liberty Humane Society provide sheltering, high-quality food, medical care, vaccinations, spay/neuter, microchipping, enrichment, and behavioral rehabilitation for those adoptable animals who may need it. Trained professionals evaluate all animals adopted out and adoption counselors are on hand to ensure that every pet finds the best home.
Adopters are invited back to Liberty Humane on Wednesdays for Public Low-Cost Pet Wellness Clinics to keep up with vaccinations, heartworm medications, and other primary veterinary care.
Liberty Humane Society is located 235 Jersey City Blvd in Jersey City, and it is open Tuesdays to Fridays, 2 to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Simon’s Newport Centre names new general manager
Simon, a global leader in retail real estate, recently appointed Austin Martin to the position of general manager at Newport Centre in Jersey City.
Martin will utilize his asset management and retail real estate expertise in handling Newport Centre’s operations, local leasing, security, marketing and budget functions. As part of his new role, Martin will also be responsible for effectively leading a team who will create mutually beneficial relationships with the Jersey City-area business community. Furthermore, he will maintain positive retailer to landlord relations in an effort to further advance customers’ shopping experiences as well as the initiatives of the center.
Martin has been with Simon for six years and has served in a leadership capacity spanning two dozen properties situated in almost every major demographic region throughout the United States. Most recently, he served as general manager at Menlo Park Mall in Edison, where he oversaw a major redevelopment of the property in 2015 that included interior and exterior improvements, including the conversion of the former food area into a spectacular new Dining Pavilion.