Mercer County Courthouse, in Trenton, NJ. (Click to expand)
A deal to settle the town of Princeton’s requirement for state-mandated affordable housing is expected to be finalized in the next few days. That’s what the town of Princeton’s attorney, Kevin Van Hise, told Judge Mary Jacobson at a hearing on Wednesday. The town will brief municipal committees on the outline of the deal next week, with a public hearing expected before Christmas.
An NJ Transit train arriving at Raritan station. (click to expand)
The question of where Princeton will add new affordable housing looks set to be answered in the coming weeks, with the town’s attorney describing negotiations on a housing settlement as “in the final stretch“. The addition of new affordable housing is necessary to comply with state law and to provide homes for people who live and work in the Princeton area. The sites for new housing in other towns often seem poorly planned, however, such as the plan that was passed by West Windsor last year, which envisioned several large apartment blocks in fields that are not particularly close to anything. Several of these sites are likely to be very dependent on car use, further reinforcing planning based around cars and traffic. Is there a better way? A proposal from a local planner (author of “A Smart Growth Vision for the Princeton Region“) potentially offers an alternative.
Construction beginning to replace bridges on Alexander Street in Princeton, October 2019 (click to expand)
For several months, Princeton elected officials, business leaders, police and local media have been warning about what is assumed will be a minor disaster: the closure of Alexander Street to allow replacement of defunct bridges over the Stony Brook and D&R canal. The fear seems reasonable. Alexander Street is used for approximately 8,000 daily motor vehicle trips. If those vehicles cannot use Alexander Street, it is assumed that they will move to other roads, and cause traffic chaos there. But how bad is it really going to be? We set out to measure traffic before and after the closure of the road.
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Rendering of proposed new Princeton University Residential Colleges #7 and #8. (click to expand)
The Princeton Planning Board will meet on Thursday night (October 17) to discuss what is likely to be one of the largest developments in town in the coming decade. Princeton University is proposing to build two new residential colleges, to allow an expansion in their undergraduate body. The new site plans suggest a modern look for the colleges, designed by Deborah Berke Partners, consistent with the ‘concept plant’ discussed earlier this year. Continue reading
Former bikeshare dock at Princeton Town Hall, 400 Witherspoon Street. (click to expand)
The bikeshare dock next to Community Park Pool at Princeton Town Hall has been removed. The dock previously held six ‘Zagster’ bicycles, which were available for borrowing by members of the local bikeshare program, which was set up in November 2014. A spokesperson from the company confirmed that the bikes had been removed because of a lack of funding.
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop announcing new ‘on-demand’ transit system earlier this week. (Image via @yating_liu, click to expand)
‘Princeton Future’ is hosting a community discussion “Changing The Way We Get Around” at Princeton Public Library this Saturday (Sep 26) and it has been getting quite a lot of attention in local media. A group of Princeton University students, under the guidance of transportation expert, Prof. Alain Kornhauser, will present their proposal for ‘on-demand’ transit. Outlines of the proposal were already discussed at the town’s Public Transit Advisory Committee on July 9. The students envisage a fleet of shuttles, potentially self-driving vehicles, which could be summoned by a smartphone to take a passenger wherever they need to go. In contrast to traditional, fixed-route buses, these ‘on-demand’ vehicles would go wherever they were needed. At the Princeton Future meeting, the students will discuss the plans and seek feedback on what areas would benefit most from this service. Continue reading
The Avalon Princeton apartment complex (click to expand)
With a new school year starting, many people will be moving to Princeton. How much should you expect to pay for apartment rentals? We took a look through the listings to try to find out what the going rate is for apartments in central Princeton in August 2019.
