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Unions, residents and transit advocates press Hudson County on tunnel, park trailers and rail funding
Summary
Union leaders urged commissioners to oppose termination of the Hudson River Tunnel project, citing 200,000 daily commuters and thousands of jobs; residents pressed the county to enforce lease terms at Braddock Park and the transit advocate asked county leaders to press the state for funding to extend the Hudson Bergen Light Rail to Bayfront.
During the public-comment portion of the Oct. 23 Hudson County meeting, union representatives and local advocates addressed three distinct concerns.
Building trades: Patrick Keller, president of the Hudson County Building Trades, and other union speakers urged the board to support a resolution opposing termination of the Hudson River Tunnel project, saying the work supports construction jobs and regional rail reliability. One speaker said the tunnel affects “200,000 commuters daily” and warned that continued delays or termination would harm hundreds of thousands of region residents and downstream employers.
Braddock Park trailers and leases: Mark Bloomberg asked the county to be vigilant about trailers left at Braddock Park after North Bergen withdrew an application Sept. 10. Bloomberg said the lease since 2011 calls for a $10,000 annual payment and that county records show only $25,000 received since 2011, which he said suggests North Bergen owes over $100,000 in back rent; he urged the county to seek DEP sign-off, remove the trailers and restore the land per the lease terms.
Transit funding and light-rail extension: Jesse Halpern, a local advocate with Hudson County Complete Streets, told commissioners he met with New Jersey Transit and state officials and urged county cooperation to secure funding for on-the-books projects, including the Northern Branch Corridor and what he called a “low-hanging fruit” HBLR (Hudson-Bergen Light Rail) extension to Bayfront. Halpern said the extension would reduce car traffic, improve affordability and cut carbon emissions.
The board heard the comments and indicated it would follow up as appropriate; several speakers thanked the commissioners for their support.
