Councilman Fires Back After Mayor Proposes E-Bike 'Working Group'

HOBOKEN, NJ — After three Hoboken council members recently proposed a new ordinance to regulate food deliveries via e-bike, Hoboken's mayor responded Tuesday by suggesting changes and offering to create a new working group.

Mayor Ravi Bhalla sent a letter to the council this week criticizing some aspects of the proposal by the three members. The three councilmen are sometime critics of the mayor's administration.

One of those council members, Paul Presinzano, said in an interview Wednesday that it's a bit late for the mayor to create a working group now that the e-bike proposal was introduced at the last council meeting. He also said issuing a public letter isn't the best way to collaborate.

Hold The Companies Responsible

"As you know," Bhalla wrote in his letter Tuesday, "creating a safer neighborhood for pedestrians, bikers, and drivers through our Vision Zero pedestrian safety initiative is one of my administration’s top priorities. I am appreciative to the city councilmembers who are taking this initiative seriously and have proposed safety changes surrounding electric-bike (e-bike) delivery in Hoboken, which I believe is an important and needed initiative.

"Nonetheless ...My administration and the Hoboken Police Department have substantial concerns about the proposed ordinance’s lack of any accountability for large companies employing e-bike delivery riders such as DoorDash and GrubHub, the potential targeting of immigrant populations and the practicality of forcing transient workers to register their employment with the City and law enforcement, among others."

Bhalla said that among other things, the ordinance should hold the companies employing the drivers responsible.

He said, "If regulations are imposed or fines are issued, they should be increased and issued to the companies employing the riders, to create an additional incentive to educate their employees on road safety. It is abundantly clear that these companies are not doing enough..."

One of the sponsors of the original law, Presinzano, had signed up earlier this month to deliver meals via UberEats, to get first-hand experience.

On Wednesday morning, he criticized Bhalla's response saying the mayor should have reached out before sending a message to the media. He also said the mayor puts "politics before policy."

Bhalla is running for Congress this year.

Presinzano posted a Tweet Wednesday saying, "If you really want to collaborate, you reach out before press release. A shame the Mayor puts politics before policy. After years of ignoring issue, it took me to put an ordinance forward for Mayor Bhalla to realize we had an E-Delivery problem on our sidewalks."

In a followup interview Wednesday, he said, "It's a thoughtful response, for a 'working group.' But it reminds me of the homeless working group years ago. There were two meetings, and then what happened? Nothing. What he's proposing just kicks the can down the road. It's inaction. This city should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time."

He added, "The residents want action, period. Which is why the ordinance was introduced by myself, Councilman Ramos, and Councilman Russo. I've spoken with the delivery companies. I've spoken with businesses. This has been an issue for three years. Why suddenly is it a topic [for the administration]?"

He said his proposed ordinance is similar to one that's been praised in Jersey City, with bike deliverers having to meet requirements to get a delivery vest.

Mayor Responds

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the mayor's office told Patch that the administration had reached out to Presinzano several times to discuss.

"Several weeks ago, Councilman Presinzano met with the mayor regarding his conceptual ideas for e-bike delivery riders," said spokesperson Marilyn Baer, in an email. "The mayor asked him to come back with an ordinance that had the support of the Hoboken Police Department and Hoboken Parking Utility. Councilman Presinzano failed to do so and ignored this request.

"On January 30, the Business Administrator sent him a letter regarding the administration’s concerns with the ordinance. Councilman Presinzano did not respond and ignored the letter. Last week, the Hoboken Public Safety Director sent him a letter again stating concerns with the ordinance, that he did not respond to."

Baer said the mayor's chief of staff had spoken with Presinzano several times, and told him the mayor would like him to participate in the working group. "Councilman Presinzano mentioned that he would think about it and get back to the chief of staff," Baer said. "He never did."

Mayor Bhalla said in his release that he is inviting the following people to join the working group:
• Council member Paul Presinzano (Chair of Public Safety Subcommittee)
• Council member Joe Quintero (Former Chair of Public Safety Subcommittee)
• Council member Emily Jabbour (Chair of Transportation and Parking Subcommittee)
• Council member Ruben Ramos (Former Chair of Transportation and Parking Subcommittee)
• Hoboken Transportation and Parking Director Ryan Sharp
• Hoboken Police Department Lt. Keith Rotondi (Traffic Division)
• Hoboken Police Department Sgt. Frankie Rosa
• Retired Captain John Petrosino
• Hoboken Business Alliance Executive Director Roxanne Earley
• Hoboken Vision Zero Task Force Member Ron Bautista
• An electric-bike delivery driver or representative (to be determined)

READ MORE: E-bike Food Deliverers Will Need License In Hoboken If Plan Passes