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Passaic launches free city shuttle, announces grants and park projects after New Year's fire response
Summary
Mayor Rosales reported the city is assisting families affected by a New Year's Eve fire, launched a free intra-city shuttle called Paseo Go, and announced state and federal grants for flood control, lead remediation and park improvements.
Mayor Rosales told the City Council on Jan. 7 that the city responded to a three-alarm fire on New Year's Eve at 452 Lafayette that affected 25 apartments. Firefighters, with mutual aid from Bergen and Passaic counties, rescued residents; the mayor said more than 15 residents were sheltered at a rec center with Red Cross assistance and one firefighter was treated for an injury related to icy conditions.
The mayor also announced the launch of a new free city shuttle, branded "Paseo Go." The shuttle currently runs Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., operates within Passaic, and uses two buses with a capacity of 24 passengers each. The mayor said the service is funded through the city's UEZ (Urban Enterprise Zone) and is intended to improve connectivity to business districts, parks and the train station; riders can download an app (Paseo Go) with real-time bus tracking via QR code on stops and vehicles.
Business Administrator Fernandez answered council questions about bus accessibility and confirmed the buses are heated and handicap-accessible. Council members and several residents said the shuttle will help low-car-ownership households, students, and parents who need transportation to multiple school locations.
On infrastructure and parks, the mayor and administrator said the city is advancing a prefab parking deck that will add approximately 300 parking spaces and is pursuing a new state-of-the-art bus terminal on Passaic Avenue. Fernandez also described a Department of Environmental Protection award of about $5,000,000 to redesign the Van Houten underpass area and install a pump station to address recurring flooding; the administration said it will coordinate lighting and other work with that larger project.
In the administrator's report the council was told the city received an additional $1,500,000 for a lead remediation and abatement program (2023 grant), $985,000 for Third Ward Veterans Memorial Park improvements, and funding to connect Dundee Island Park and Pulaski Park. The administration also said a rubberized walking track around the baseball field at Third Ward Memorial Park is planned.
Public comments at the meeting raised both support and concern for the shuttle. Resident Joe Conasenti and other speakers urged action on double parking and property maintenance; Council and administration responses included increased code-enforcement inspections and acknowledgment that some redevelopment projects are ongoing and require coordination.
Mayor Rosales said the city will explore expanding shuttle service and potential county coordination to connect neighboring cities in the future. The administration did not set dates for expansion or indicate operating budgets beyond the UEZ funding cited.
