Ashe Nadrowski Releases Plan for Solutions to “Quality of Life” Issues in Bayonne
Third Installment of Nadrowski Campaign’s “Solution Sunday” Series As part of her latest installment of the Nadrowski Campaign’s “Solution Sunday” platform series, Mayoral Candidate Sharon Ashe Nadrowski released her team’s plans to address “Quality of Life” issues in Bayonne such as trash collection, parking accommodations, and roadway conditions.
“The whole idea behind ‘Solution Sunday,’ is to present reasonable solutions to some of the issues facing Bayonne today,” said Ashe Nadrowski. “The truth is, as a candidate for office it’s very easy to say what you’re against. But, as we all know, it’s what someone stands for that really counts.”
The following is the “Quality of Life” installment released on Sunday, April 3rd:
“Garbage. Parking. Streets. Three things that rival Property Taxes on the list of concerns of most Bayonne residents. It’s a sad but true reality. Unreliable trash collection, inadequate off-street parking, and out of control road conditions are all problems that face Bayonne today. They continue to plague us time and time again. Here are a few of my ideas and plans for fixing these issues and improving local quality of life:
1. PICKUP THE GARBAGE It seems simple enough. Whether you live uptown, downtown, East side, or West wide, you need your garbage collected. More than that, you expect – rightfully so – that it is done in a way that doesn’t actually make litter worse. This basic level of service isn’t being met right now. Under a Nadrowski administration we’re going to consider an “all the above” approach to solving this problem once and for all. First, by clearly defining what we need as a city, including: services, frequency of pickup, timing of pickup, and workmanship standards. Second, by analyzing our current contract, including costs and services. Third, by really considering if this is something the City can economically and efficiently insource instead of outsource. Finally, by exercising transparent decisiveness – whether this be rebidding the contract, terminating the contracting for in house services, or some combination thereof, the public needs to know what is happening, when it is happening, and how it is happening.
2. GIVE PEOPLE A PLACE TO PARK As much as we advocate the use of mass transit, Bayonne is somewhat limited in this regard. Most residents still own, use, or otherwise operate a vehicle daily. They also park that vehicle. And as our city grows, our parking problems follow suit. We need to rethink the way our municipal parking facilities are structured. Under a Nadrowski administration, we would look to optimize the use of several of our off-street surface parking lots through the construction of new parking deck structures. While these do come at a cost, they are a far and away better use of space and would remove hundreds of cars from Bayonne streets – easing traffic congestion and aggravation. I would propose these structures be funded by existing parking revenues generated by fines and fees, as well as contributions from developers who seek to profit from the economic development of our community. Ensuring equitable involvement from our development community is key – existing residents should be bolstered, not burdened by the City’s growth.
3. FIX THE ROADS There’s a problem when the City spends millions of dollars on local roads, but residents end up regularly sinking hundreds into their own vehicles due to flat tires and the need for new suspensions. Let’s be clear, our streets are some of the most highly trafficked in the nation – no question about it. They take a beating. Not just our main thoroughfares, but our side streets as well. With that said, we need to have a plan and cannot continue to throw good money after bad. To have a plan we need to know exactly what we’re dealing with. Under a Nadrowski administration we will start a quarterly, block-by-block streetscape assessment. These assessments will look for defects such as potholes, broken curbing, sinkholes, and broken storm drains. These assessments help identify and prioritize where fixes need to be implemented immediately, instead of waiting until major overhauls are needed in the future. These assessments will double to ensure the City keeps our community an attractive place to live, work, and play.”
Every Sunday from now, until Election Day on May 10th, the Nadrowski Campaign is going to release concrete solutions to the problems facing Bayonne via Facebook. Previous installments of the Nadrowski campaign’s “Solution Sunday” series are as follows:
Sunday, March 20, 2022 (“Open & Transparent Government”) Sunday, March 27, 2022 (“Redevelopment”)