Outgoing Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla vetoed an ordinance that would place a temporary freeze on their Camera-based License Plate Enforcement for Access & Response (CLEAR) program on Friday, stating it has been a success and that the pilot is nearly over.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
In his veto statement, the Mile Square City mayor says the program was always meant to be a three-month pilot that expires on December 31st, creating a 48 percent reduction in bus line violations and a 51 percent decrease in bike lane violations.
Bhalla added that “overstays” in loading zones are down 68 percent, while paid parking transactions on Washington Street are up 4 percent and turnover has increased seven percent, compared to last year.
“Double parking and blocked travel lanes have also been reduced by 72%, keeping lanes clear for emergency vehicles and improving overall traffic flow. CLEAR is a critical component of Hoboken’s Vision Zero initiative, which seeks to eliminate traffic deaths by 2030,” he wrote in his veto statement.
“Prematurely ending the program knowing that it had such a beneficial public safety impact on reducing illegal and dangerous behaviors, before the three-month data collection is complete, during one of the busiest times of the year, is inconsistent with the City’s goals of increasing compliance with current laws and advancing the public safety objectives of the program.”
The governing body voted 5-4, with Council President Jim Doyle, Councilwoman at-Large Emily Jabbour, 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen, and Councilman at-Large Joe Quintero voting no, for the temporary freeze, as HCV first reported.
Those who voted to suspend the program cited wanting to give local business owners a break during the end-of-year holiday season, including 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo.
“Recently, the Hoboken City Council voted to enact a moratorium on CLEAR enforcement to allow time to review data and engage residents and small businesses on the program’s implementation,” he wrote on Facebook.
“The Mayor has since vetoed that moratorium, which means CLEAR enforcement remains in effect … for now … The program was implemented without Council oversight, extensive public outreach, or detailed data shared with the community. Feedback from residents, delivery drivers, and small business owners highlighted negative impacts.”
Another councilman who supported the moratorium, 1st Ward representative Paul Presinzano, said the mayor’s logic for the veto ignores basic common sense.
“The Mayor’s veto ignores common sense and pushes forward a last-minute rollout without the transparency we were promised,” he told HCV.
“That lack of openness is exactly why people are frustrated. I’m glad we’re turning the page and I look forward to working with Mayor-elect Emily Jabbour on real transparency and true collaboration.”
The council has the option to do a veto override, which would require six votes as soon as Wednesday’s meeting, but with the year so close to being over and the vote being as close as it was, that option seems unlikely to transpire.
Noting that Bike Hoboken, Hudson County Complete Streets, and NJ Transit have all come out in support of the CLEAR program, Bhalla also says the ordinance approved by the council may have been legally deficient.
“Significantly, prior to the Council’s vote, Corporation Counsel also advised that this ordinance was not legally sound nor permissible, noting important that enforcement falls within the executive functions of municipal government and is an overreach of the legislative branch,” his veto statement says.
“Additionally, I must again reiterate that the program is not automated. A parking enforcement officer reviews and issues ever citation as has always been the case. The pilot was specifically designed to collect data and stakeholder feedback before making long-term policy decisions. Halting it now would deprive the city of essential information needed to make informed, data-driven decisions.”
Down the street, outgoing Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop took some heat at last week’s city council meeting over vetoing an ordinance mandating bird-safe glass for future construction projects.