More Than 250 Residents Sign Petition Expressing Support For A More Walkable Witherspoon Street In Downtown Princeton

Posted on November 24, 2020 by

Pearl St Mall, Boulder, Colorado, Image credit: Kurt Kanouse

Over 250 residents have signed a petition calling for a more walkable design for lower Witherspoon Street in Princeton. The two blocks of Witherspoon Street closest to Nassau Street have been converted to a one-way setup for most of 2020, to facilitate safe outdoor dining during the coronavirus pandemic. Council is now considering long-term changes to the layout of Witherspoon Street, to coincide with an upcoming sanitary sewer replacement project that will require this section of the street to be dug up. Public consultation on potential changes to Witherspoon Street began in February, and has been continuing throughout the year. Continue reading →

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Princeton Council To Eliminate Taxi Stand On Nassau Street

Posted on November 18, 2020 by
Taxi stand on Nassau Street in Princeton, November 2020 (click to expand)

The taxi stand at Nassau St and Witherspoon St in downtown Princeton, which has existed for many years, is set to disappear. As part of their meeting on October 19, Princeton Council agreed to reconfigure the space as parking for downtown businesses. Continue reading →

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Princeton Council Poised To Create Affordable Housing Zone, Permitting 30 New Homes On Terhune Road

Posted on November 1, 2020 by

‘Concept plan’ for new housing in the proposed ‘AH-7’ zone at 375 Terhune Road, Princeton (click to expand)

Princeton Council will consider a plan to rezone a plot of land at 375 Terhune Road at their meeting on Monday, November 2. The new zoning would permit construction of up to 30 new homes, and end a legal battle that had threatened the town’s affordable housing settlement.

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First Look: New Apartment Proposals at Thanet Road in Princeton

Posted on October 11, 2020 by

Rendering of proposed Avalon Bay apartments at Thanet Road in Princeton (click to expand)

Princeton’s “Site Plan Review Advisory Board” examined a preliminary plan this week for a proposed apartment development on Thanet Road (map). The site was designated for housing as part of a plan adopted by the town earlier this year to meet state affordable housing requirements. Existing office buildings at Thanet Circle, which are mostly vacant, would be demolished to allow construction of two  apartment developments. One of these would be built by Avalon Bay, and would include 221 homes. These new residential units would be in a range of townhouses and apartment buildings, rising to a maximum of four stories. 

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Poll Shows ‘Overwhelming’ Support For Closing Witherspoon Street in Downtown Princeton To Traffic

Posted on September 25, 2020 by

Part of Witherspoon Street was repurposed for street dining in summer 2020. (click to expand)

At a public meeting last week, representatives of the Princeton Engineering Department discussed plans for reconstruction of Witherspoon Street in downtown Princeton. The project is scheduled to begin next year, and the purpose of the meeting was to get further feedback about ideas for how to redesign Witherspoon St. Several concepts were presented. Witherspoon St between Nassau St and Spring St was converted to one-way traffic earlier this year, to create additional space for outdoor dining during the COVID-19 pandemic. Making this one-way concept permanent is one option that is being considered. Other options range from restoring two-way traffic, to closing the road to through traffic altogether. To evaluate which design option was preferred by the public, the engineers set up an online poll, and at the time of the meeting, the ‘overwhelming’ preference shown by  Continue reading →

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Celebrate ‘Bike To Work’ Week With Two Events In Princeton

Posted on September 22, 2020 by

Two events are happening this week to mark ‘Bike To Work’ Week (click to expand)

‘Bike To Work Week’ 2020 has been moved from its usual slot in May to this week, September 21-27, because of the coronavirus lockdown that struck earlier this year. Local transportation agencies Greater Mercer TMA and Keep Middlesex Moving are encouraging commuters to leave their car at home, and consider alternatives including biking. Here in Princeton, two events will be taking place to mark the occasion. First, on Wednesday, September 23, Continue reading →

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Princeton Considering Possibility of Closing Lower Witherspoon Street to Motor Vehicles

Posted on September 11, 2020 by

Witherspoon Street closed to motor vehicles during ‘Communiversity’ in Princeton. (click to expand)

The Princeton Municipal Engineering Department is considering the possibility of permanently closing part of Witherspoon Street to motor vehicles, as part of a consultation on planned improvements to the streetscape. The current project involves the southern end of Witherspoon Street, between Nassau Street and Green Street, and is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2021. An initial community consultation took place at Monument Hall in Princeton on February 13. The public comments collected at that meeting can be viewed on the municipal website, and indicated substantial support for improved biking and walking facilities, and even for dedicating Witherspoon Street in downtown Princeton as a pedestrian area, similar to those seen in several other college towns.
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Posted in Alternative Transportation, Beautiful Walkable Princeton, Complete Streets, Placemaking, planning, Princeton, The Parking Question, Traffic | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Electric-Scooter Rental Program Arrives on the Streets of New Brunswick

Posted on September 3, 2020 by

e-Scooters on College Ave in New Brunswick, NJ (click to expand)

A new electric-scooter (e-scooter) program has launched in New Brunswick, NJ. An email on Thursday from the Rutgers University Department of Institutional Planning and Operations announced the launch of the program, and by the afternoon, many young people could be seen whizzing around the city on the new scooters. Continue reading →

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Renting in Princeton: How Much Should You Expect To Pay in 2020?

Posted on August 31, 2020 by

Home for rent on North Tulane Street in Princeton (click to expand).

How much should you expect to pay for apartment rentals in Princeton? We took a look through the listings to try to find out what the going rate is for apartments in central Princeton in August 2020.  We last looked at Princeton rental rates one year go, in August 2019.

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Renderings of Proposed 20 Nassau Street Hotel in Downtown Princeton

Posted on August 21, 2020 by

Sketch of proposed new hotel at 20 Nassau Street in Princeton, NJ (click to expand)

Last year, it was announced that Graduate Hotels had purchased 20 Nassau Street, a large building in downtown Princeton that has most recently been used for retail uses and offices (map). Graduate Hotels manages boutique hotels in around 30 locations in the USA. At a recent neighborhood meeting, they shared further concept plans about how the new hotel in downtown Princeton might look. The images shown here are from the presentation.

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Posted in architecture, Density, Placemaking, planning, Princeton, Real estate, Smart Growth, Sustainability, The Parking Question, Traffic, Zoning | Tagged , , | 3 Comments