To the Editor:
Bayonne’s third ward is the gateway to our community. It is the first thing people see when entering Bayonne from the Turnpike, but has been neglected. The first thing people notice when entering our city is empty lots, litter and deteriorating roads. For the last eight years I have listened to our representatives on the city council speak about addressing these issues yet very little has been done. Rather than giving longterm tax breaks to millionaire developers to develop on prime real estate, we should incentivize development in areas that are an eyesore and have been undeveloped for over a decade.
As I have walked the streets talking to residents one complaint that rings out is the litter along Broadway. I see many business owners constantly having to clean up in front of their stores. It amazes me that this could still be a problem when it is very simple to add extra trash cans along our main avenues.
Another area which our representatives have failed us is in regards to the traffic congestion leading into the Turnpike. Just about every morning there is bumper-to-bumper traffic with Avenue E being backed up to 40th Street. The pollution given off by these vehicles waiting in line to get out of Bayonne negatively affects our quality of life and could cause serious health concerns. A few years ago the Turnpike Authority held meetings to propose a plan which would alleviate the current congestion and create a more efficient flow of traffic. This plan seems to have gone nowhere as the problem has gotten worse yet our representative has been silent on the issue.
Over the past few months I have been able to meet and speak with many residents who are concerned they are not being represented properly. I promise I will be your voice on the city council.
From day one I will work to improve many of the issues we have in our ward and improve our overall quality of life.
I look forward to hearing your concerns and working for you. Please feel free to contact me at flores4council@gmail.com.
WASHINGTON FLORES
Third Ward Council Candidate