Photo courtesy of Reena Rose Sibayan / The Jersey Journal.
Election season continues to roll around as summer programs and possible public transportation disruptions are happening throughout Hudson County.
Here’s what’s been happening.
NJ Commuters Beware! Transit Strike Leading To Possible Rail Service Disturbance
If you’ve opened up the NJ Transit app as of late, you may have noticed a pop up message warning about a potential NJ TRANSIT rail strike.
The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) is threatening to call for a strike that would suspend NJ Transit rail services as early as Friday, May 16.
This comes after engineers represented by BLET rejected a tentative agreement with NJ TRANSIT regarding higher wages.
The average NJ Transit engineer earns $135,000 annually, but they are looking to be compensated to about $190,000 annually, rejecting the tentative offer of $172,000.
The potential strike would disrupt more than 350,000 commuters and would result in the complete suspension of NJ TRANSIT rail service, including Metro-North west of Hudson service.
In anticipation of May 16, NJ TRANSIT has put together a contingency plan that would accommodate an extremely limited number of rail customers, as NJ TRANSIT highly encourages people who can work from home to do so and limit traveling on the NJ TRANSIT system to essential purposes only.
The official NJ TRANSIT website wrote a disclaimer stating:
“In developing its contingency plan, NJ TRANSIT focused available resources on the largest segment of its rail customer base—the more than 70,000 New York-bound customers, including customers who transfer from NJ TRANSIT rail to PATH trains at Hoboken Terminal and Newark Penn Station. Through a combination of added capacity to existing New York bus routes, operation of a regional Park & Ride service, NJ TRANSIT estimates that it can only carry approximately 20% of current rail customers as the bus system capacity can not replace the railroad.”
Regional Park & Ride Service
Anticipating the rail stoppage on May 16, Park & Ride service will operate on a first come, first served basis beginning on Monday, May 19, from four regional Park & Ride lots, weekdays only, during morning peak period inbound and evening peak period outbound.
Four Regional Park & Ride lots inclue:
- Secaucus Junction to Port Authority Bus Terminal, New York
- PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel to Port Authority Bus Terminal, New York (Operated by Academy Bus)
- Hamilton Rail Station to Newark Penn Station PATH
- Woodbridge Center Mall to Harrison PATH Station
Operation Times of Park & Ride Service
No midday, late-night, weekend or reverse commute service will operate on these Park & Ride routes.
Limited added capacity on existing NJ TRANSIT bus routes to/from NYC
NJ TRANSIT will increase peak period services on existing New York bus routes near rail stations. The routes are as follows:
- Northeast Corridor: 108, 112, 115 and 129 bus routes
- North Jersey Coast Line: 116 and 133/135 bus routes
- Raritan Valley Line: 112 and 113 bus routes
- Morris & Essex Lines: 107 bus routes
- Montclair-Boonton Lines: 193 and 324 bus routes
- Main/Bergen County Lines: 145, 163, 164 and 190 bus routes
- Pascack Valley Line: 163, 164 and 165 bus routes
All other NJ TRANSIT bus services will operate on regular schedules. The Newark Light Rail, Hudson -Bergen Light Rail and River Line will operate on regular weekday schedules. For weekend schedules, check the NJ TRANSIT page for more information on light rail services, routes and schedules.
Service will operate normally for Access Link, which is accommodations for commuters with disabilities, but customers should anticipate longer travel times due to predicted traffic and an increased number of riders.
Meanwhile, the potential strike has residents feeling very uneasy on X:
“Can the conductors and engineers work from home? This is ridiculous. Get a deal done and don’t hold 350,000 people hostage.”
“Pay your engineers”
“Solidifying your status as the world’s worst commuter rail. NJ Transit alone is enough reason to never live in New Jersey.”
“Some of us can’t work from home what are we supposed to do then?”
For more information on ticketing, cross-honoring and more, which can be translated into different languages, you can visit https://www.njtransit.com/railstoppage.
Kearny Mayoral Race Gets Another Candidate
Sydney J. Ferriera announced this week that he will run for Kearny Mayor as a Republican against Mayor Carol Jean Doyle. This is Ferriera’s third time running. He ran in both 2021 and 2023.
Ferriera said the candidates on his ticket include First Ward: “Smiley” Muhammad Whala, Second Ward: Margarita Fernandez, Third Ward: Jorge D. Santos and Fourth Ward: Anthony J. Morales.
Ferreira said that even though he lost his run in 2021, he had victories along the way because he “forced conversations” and brought up issues that needed to be discussed.
Kearny had a history of being a Democratic town, but current President Trump of the Republican party won Kearny’s vote in the 2024 presidential election.
North Bergen Introduces Drone Unit As First Responder
The North Bergen Police Department has officially become the first municipalityin Hudson County to implement unmanned aerial systems (UAS) into its public safety operations as a first responder.
“This is a historic moment for public safety in North Bergen,” said Mayor Nicholas Sacco. “By adopting this innovative technology, we’re staying ahead of the curve, using smart, safe tools that help protect our residents and support our officers on the ground.”
The drones are manufactured by a Texas-based company called Paladin. While the drones can fly up to 400 feet, they are usually stationed at around 200 feet.
Public Safety Commissioner Allen Pascual stated the drone program is a “game-changer” for how the department tackles emergency response. He says this gives them the abilities of an aviation unit without the high costs and safety risks that come with usual methods like helicopters.
The initiative was created one month ago and was fully funded through criminal forfeiture funds. The NBPD UAS Division is led by Sgt. Sean Rahbari who is a certified FAA remote pilot and member of the Hudson County Regional SWAT Team. The NBPD said that each flight uses about 5% battery per mile and drones recharge fully in 25 minutes.
The new drone first responder initiative was met with some controversy and leaving some residents unhappy. Users on Instagram threatened to throw rocks at the drones if they saw any and stated “we’re doomed.”
“Wonder how many jobs in the township were cut to afford this,” one user commented on Instagram.
“Close your curtains people!!!!! The 4th Amendment violations are about to begin,” commented another user.
Without you, there is no Slice of Culture. Any type of gift helps continue our mission of supporting aspiring journalists and keeping local journalism alive. Give a gift today or become a member with extra perks.
Cannon Ball Into These Early Registration Discounts For Summer Pool Memberships
North Bergen and Guttenberg residents can now register for the 2025 summer pool season, as discount prices are now available until June 27 for early registrants.
Registration is available in person Monday to Friday at these locations:
- Pool Complex, 2111 91st street (5 p.m. to 9 p.m.)
- Recreation Center, 6300 Meadowview Avenue (2 p.m. to 9 p.m.)
- Recreation Center & Library, 1231 Kennedy Boulevard (2 p.m. to 9 p.m.)
- Town Hall, 4233 Kennedy Boulevard (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
To register, you must bring two proofs of residency–like bills for current gas, electric, phone, or tax–and a birth certificate for all children. IDs not permitted. Payment will only be accepted by credit card, check or money order.
The pools will officially open on Memorial Day weekend on May 23 and will only be open for weekends in June. The pools will open every day beginning Saturday, June 28.
Pool hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with the training pool opening from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for senior citizen members who are 62 years old and older.
Residents can register for either annual memberships or per day passes. Full-time seasonal members can purchase passes to bring in non-member guests.
A membership application with fees and prices can be found here.
Busy Parents, Don’t Fret! Guttenberg Summer Camp Registration Now Open
Registration for Guttenberg Summer Camp 2025 is here for children ages 5 to 16 and they are offering an early bird registration fee.
Registration is $50 from now until June 16, and will increase to $75 starting Tuesday, June 17.
Summer camp activities include:
- Multi-sport play
- Yoga
- Bingo
- Kickball
- Dodgeball
- Ping-Pong
- Swimming
- Board games
- And more!
To register your child, they must be completed with kindergarten. You must bring your child’s birth certificate or school report card and a recent utility bill, lease agreement or ID; no passports will be accepted.
Payment is accepted in the form of debit, credit card, check or money order only.
There will be no online registration, all registration for summer camp will be in person at the Gerald R. Drasheff Community Center located on Hudson Avenue between 68th and 69th streets. Office hours are from Monday toThursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
New Jersey Stands Out At No. 1 In This Category
New Jersey is officially ranked the No. 1 state in the country for education, according to a newly released U.S. News & World Report.
While New Jersey did peak at No. 1 for pre-k through 12th grade, the state ranked No. 36 for higher education. The Garden State also ranked No. 19 for “Best State” in the country overall.
For the pre-kindergarten to grade 12 subcategory, NJ ranked first in college readiness and preschool enrollment, second in NAEP reading scores, third in high school graduation rate and fifth in NAEP math scores.
U.S. News and World Report took affordability, accessibility and achievement into account when assessing the top-ranking states for education. When evaluating the best states for education, U.S. News examined metrics tied to both higher education and the space from pre-kindergarten through high school. There were eight total categories for overall Best State rankings.
“We have the best public schools in the country because we challenge our students, value our teachers, and invest in learning from a young age,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement.
The top 10 states for education included:
- New Jersey
- Florida
- Colorado
- Utah
- Massachusetts
- Wyoming
- Wisconsin
- South Dakota
- Washington
- Connecticut
The bottom three states were New Mexico, Alaska and Oklahoma.
As for other data, this is how New Jersey ranked in the other categories:
- Health Care (No. 5)
- Crime and Corrections (No. 10)
- Infrastructure (No. 12)
- Natural Environment (No. 28)
- Economy (No. 31)
- Opportunity (No. 45)
- Fiscal Stability (No. 49)
Know any local news we should include? Email Stella Accettola at [email protected]!
