Emmanuelle Morgen

A new bill introduced by New Jersey state Senator @Troy4NJ7 would allow counties and municipalities in the state to use automated speed enforcement cameras in school zones in limited circumstances. New Jersey state law currently prohibits speed cameras.

Just wrapped a powerful day in Hoboken, NJ with my fellow Councilmembers, Pa. State Representatives, and community leaders. Shout out to @PhillipsDist9, @RepNapoleon, and Rep. Darisha Parker for taking time out of your schedules to attend this very informative trip. 1/

Friends and Neighbors, After five incredible years in @JerseyCity, my wife Amanda and I have made the difficult decision to move on. This city has been our home, where we’ve built memories, married, spent way too much time indoors (over COVID), watched our family grow from two to three (yes, dogs do count), and connected with some truly wonderful people. However, recent challenges have compelled us to seek to write a new chapter elsewhere. I wanted to share our reasons publicly (many of which I have previously shared at council meetings)-- not out of bitterness that those in charge haven't done enough, but in the hopes that they might spark a conversation about the future of this city that we still care about deeply. Rising Rents vs. Quality of Life: The Community We Lost When we first moved to Jersey City, we were drawn by its promise of a vibrant, diverse, and tightly-knit community. However, over the past few years, we’ve seen a troubling trend: rents have soared, but the quality of life has not kept pace. It feels as though the city has become a revolving door, with people constantly coming and going, unable to put down roots because of the ever-increasing cost of living and poor access to critical infrastructure. This transience has eroded the sense of community that once made Jersey City special. Neighbors who once greeted each other with familiarity have moved away, replaced by new faces who, too, are just passing through. We no longer see the same friendly gatherings in the park or the familiar faces at local restaurants. Instead, the city feels more like a temporary stopover than a place to truly call home - areas that should be quiet and safe for children are filled with loud music, trash and public drug/alcohol use. Rising rents, coupled with the lack of long-term commitment from many residents, have chipped away at the sense of belonging that initially drew us here. Furthermore, the poor quality of public transit options (looking at you @PATHTrain) has left us stuck and unable to reliably traverse the mile across Hudson River on the weekends without an automobile. With traffic as bad as it is, and only getting worse, we decided to trade in the beeping cars for tweeting birds. The widening of the turnpike will only serve to increase the noise and smog pollution that is choking our community, and financially choke PATH as people make the move to automobiles. Hopefully we get a governor that understands the importance of mass transit via rail, and can think outside the box for innovative solutions for lower Hudson to reach lower Manhattan - bike / pedestrian only tunnel anyone? Unsafe Streets: The Everyday Risks We Can No Longer Accept Another significant factor in our decision is the deteriorating safety on the streets. As a young couple starting a family, nothing is more important to us than the well-being of our future children. Unfortunately, the streets of Jersey City have become increasingly unsafe for pedestrians, especially for families with young children. A child was run over at the same intersection where a drunk driver rammed into Taqueria - neither of which drew any conclusion. The surge in un-cited traffic violations, particularly by cars and e-bikes, has made walking around our neighborhood a constant source of anxiety and uneasiness. What’s most disheartening is the apparent ineptitude of the local police department when it comes to response times and enforcing local traffic laws. Despite numerous complaints from residents, there seems to be little to no effort to crack down on reckless driving or to ensure that our streets are safe for everyone - and no accountability from the top. In addition to this, there’s a clear gap in services provided by JCPD. Long wait times for 911 calls still persist, and you cannot depend on the quality of service from the police when they arrive. As taxes increase, public services remain despairingly subpar. The lack of enforcement has led to a dangerous environment where crossing the street, taking a walk, or even being on Newark Ave has become a risky endeavor. We can no longer justify staying in a place where we feel that our safety concerns are not being addressed by those in charge. Looking Forward Our decision to leave Jersey City was not made lightly. We have cherished our time here, and it is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye. We hope that by sharing our reasons, we can contribute to a larger conversation about the future of this city. Jersey City still has so much potential, but it needs to address these prevailing and pressing issues if it is to retain the families and communities that make it vibrant and unique. To our friends and neighbors who remain, we wish you all the best. We hope that Jersey City can once again become the welcoming, safe, and close-knit community that we all want it to be. Sincerely, The Gillettes

The #JerseyCity Council may vote on a measure to move the Heights bike lane forward. @bikejc "We have ... prepared a resolution to award a contract to an engineering firm to aid in the development of those plans. We have a grant deadline in June." hudsoncountyview.com/jersey-city-co…

The #JerseyCity Council may vote on a measure to move the Heights bike lane forward. @bikejc "We have ... prepared a resolution to award a contract to an engineering firm to aid in the development of those plans. We have a grant deadline in June." hudsoncountyview.com/jersey-city-co…

1/♾️ LOTS of people in the Heights want the piloted, paid-for, protected bike lane on Manhattan Ave. and Franklin St. We’ll show you more of them every day! 3rd pic is the sign they’re all holding. Please tell city leaders you want it too, right here: actionnetwork.org/letters/save-t…