Princeton Residents Have a Few Days Left to Comment on Mercer County Trails and Safe Streets Plans

Part of the Johnson Trolley Line Trail in Princeton

Princeton residents have a chance to comment on two important Mercer County planning initiatives relating to trails and street safety. Public comment for both of them closes at the end of March, so now is a great time to get your comments in!

First, Mercer County and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission want to get input from the public about a new walk-bike trail connecting Princeton to Trenton. The new trail is intended to approximately follow the route of the old Trenton trolley line. Local history buffs and long-time readers of ‘Walkable Princeton’ will know that an interurban trolley used to run from Witherspoon Street in Princeton, through Lawrence Twp, to Trenton. (Report: Remembering the Old Princeton Trolley) A few sections of the old trolley right-of-way remain as trails, including at the back of Johnson Park School in Princeton (see photo above).

At this time, the County wants input about what the best route for this new trail would be? Several options are proposed, through Lawrence Twp and Trenton. The four question survey is available at this link: Johnson Trolley Trail Survey. It is limited to residents of Trenton, Lawrence Twp, Ewing Twp, and Princeton.

Mercer County also has a second public outreach exercise happening right now, focusing on its ‘Vision Zero’ master plan. The goal of the plan would be to reach “zero fatal and serious injuries on the roadways of Mercer County”. The importance of this goal is clear in Princeton, after the tragic death of a pedestrian who was struck by a car driver on Wiggins Street earlier this month.

The County would like to know what would make the most significant impact on safety the fastest? And what specific actions should be prioritized? The survey is intended to be completed in 5-10 minutes, and respondents will be entered into a prize draw for a $100 gift card. The link for the Vision Zero survey is here: Mercer County Vision Zero Survey.

The deadline for both surveys is March 31, i.e. this coming Monday!

The NJ Bike & Walk Coalition‘s 2025 Summit will also take place this Saturday, March 30, starting at 9 a.m. at McDonnell Hall on Princeton University Campus (map). The summit will feature a program of talks and networking with advocatesfrom across the state. Local non-profit Princeton Future will be hosting a ‘walk to coffee’ as part of the event. Registration for the event will be available on-site starting at 8 a.m.

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