Hoboken Council votes Wednesday on $2.2 million for Hop buses and parking wayfinding

HOBOKEN — City Council is scheduled to take a final vote Wednesday on borrowing up to $2.2 million for Hoboken Parking Utility equipment — including replacement Hop shuttle buses and a citywide curbside parking wayfinding system.

The regular meeting starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at City Hall, 94 Washington Street, after a closed session at 6:30 p.m. Bond ordinance J-78, sponsored by Councilman Firestone, is on for second and final reading.

What’s in the $2.2 million bond

The posted bond ordinance appropriates and authorizes general obligation bonds or bond anticipation notes of up to $2,200,000, with $0 down payment. Section 7 splits the money this way:

• $1,000,000 — capital equipment for the Hoboken Parking Utility, “including, but not limited to, Hop-on-Hop-Off Buses,” with a 10-year useful life.
• $1,200,000 — acquisition and installation of a Curbside Management Parking Wayfinding System throughout the city, with a 5-year useful life.

Soft costs (interest, engineering, legal and related Local Bond Law Section 20 items) are capped at $400,000 of proceeds. The city’s supplemental debt statement would rise by $2,200,000. Average useful life cited in the ordinance is 7.27 years.

A Sept. 2, 2026 city memorandum from the business administrator and transportation/infrastructure directors — attached to the same agenda item — says the $1 million bus line would replace two Hop shuttle buses that are about 12 years old and have more than 150,000 miles, at roughly $500,000 each. Replacements are expected to be electric if capacity and operating needs are met; the memo says the city is still evaluating bus options and vendors and will bring contract specs later. The same memo says the $1.2 million wayfinding line is expected to cover technologies such as Smart Loading Zones, digital parking wayfinding, and automated parking enforcement using city vehicles — and that added Parking Utility revenue is expected to help offset costs.

The ordinance itself does not name a bus vendor, routes, fares, or a wayfinding contractor.

G.O. bonds for a Parking Utility project — open questions

The bond is framed as Parking Utility capital equipment, but it authorizes City of Hoboken general obligation bonds or BANs under the Local Bond Law. The ordinance pledges the city’s full faith and credit and, if needed, ad valorem taxes on taxable real property without rate or amount limit. A city memo describes the Parking Utility piece as intended to be financed with self-liquidating Parking Utility debt and offset by new utility revenue — but the face of the ordinance does not say whether parking rates would rise to cover debt service.

Still unanswered on the posted papers: Will meter or permit rates go up? What Hop routes and fares would the new buses run? Who supplies the wayfinding system?

Also on Wednesday’s agenda

• Willow Terrace Residential Preservation zoning district — introduction / first reading, plus a referral to the Planning Board under N.J.S.A. 40:55D-26 (Councilwoman Imus; Ramos/Imus on the referral).
• CD2 — professional services contract with Triad Associates for an environmental review record on the Hoboken Housing Authority’s RAD / Section 18 blend project, not to exceed $5,500 (CDBG). Triad’s proposal describes Phase 1 Parcel A as about 165 affordable units in a hi-rise on the Harrison Gardens parking lot (Block 36, Lot 13).

What’s next: Final adoption of J-78 would still leave bus purchase and wayfinding contracts for later council action. Agenda and ordinance: Oct. 7 meeting page.

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Hudson TV asks: Should Hoboken borrow the $2.2 million Wednesday — or wait until Hop routes/fares and the wayfinding vendor are named?

Share your take in the comments — ❤️ Borrow now · 😡 Wait for more details.