Solomon's Infrastructure Plan Focuses On Making Greener Downtown

JERSEY CITY, NJ — The race for Jersey City Council is on, and Ward E candidate and incumbent James Solomon released his plan for infrastructure in the downtown ward on Wednesday.

Central to his plan is the push to make the downtown greener and advocate for the city to invest in its infrastructure. Downtown Jersey City has been the scene of growth in the city for years, but Solomon argues in his plan, that the city has not properly invested in the infrastructure to match the growth.

“For decades, Jersey City politicians approved tens of thousands of units of housing without a plan for the infrastructure needed to keep downtown livable. We need to remake Jersey City and that starts with more public spaces and parks, improving our infrastructure and doing the basics like making sure the trash is picked up. Downtown families expect and deserve a more livable community and this plan will improve lives and make the city even better for everyone,” Solomon said.

Solomon breaks his plan into three parts, focusing on green space, infrastructure and trash cleanup. Tucked into the green space proposals is Solomon's vision for a park "in" the water, similar to Hoboken's Pier C. Hoboken's Pier C park took about three years to construct and roughly $20 million. Solomon also highlighted the 6th Street Harsimus Embankment as a worthy candidate for green space.

The light-rail station at 18th and Jersey Avenue is a focal point for the infrastructure portion of Solomon's plan. The Jersey Avenue area is fast-growing for development and in May, the City Council approved the Jersey Avenue Redevelopment Plan, which would open a gateway for the construction of a new Hudson-Bergen light rail station.

Trash cleanup is another sticking point for the plan. The plan suggests "Terminating our sanitation contract with Regional Industries, for providing poor service at an outrageous cost to taxpayers."

Read the full plan.