Plans for new construction at the Princeton Middle School and Littlebrook Elementary were discussed by the Princeton Planning Board at their meeting on September 25. Both schools will be getting major additions, which have been funded by a school bond passed by local referendum in 2024. (See previous report: “Princeton School Board Unveils New Renderings Of Local Schools After Bond-funded Improvements“)
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Speaking at a Princeton Council meeting on Monday night, Princeton Police Captain Matthew Solovay responded to a recent ‘Walkable Princeton’ report showing that the number of speeding tickets issued by local cops has dropped by 85% since 2019. (Report from 9/21/2025: Princeton Police Now Issuing Less Than One Quarter As Many Speeding Tickets as Before Pandemic). His remarks came as part of a previously-scheduled discussion of the July and August Police Reports. Capt. Solovay agreed that the number of speeding tickets that are being issued has fallen “drastically” since 2019, but argued that it did not undermine the police force’s commitment to traffic safety. His full remarks are posted below.
Full statement by Princeton Police Captain Matthew Solovay at Princeton Council on 9/21/2025:
“The second item that I want to point out that’s reflected in these two reports was brought up by Councilman Cohen at the last meeting I was present at, and most recently it was referenced in articles in in local media, and that is the decline of speeding summones.
That trend is real, but it’s it isn’t sudden and it isn’t unique to Princeton. The issuance of motor vehicle traffic summons is drastically down across the state and the nation. The significant drop occurred in 2020 and speeding summons have remained relatively steady since that point and several factors contributed to this issue.
Staffing constraints, revisions to state legislation, changes in officer mentality, and a broader shift in policing toward education and officer discretion. Quite frankly, policing has changed since 2019. But what hasn’t changed is our commitment to safer streets. This is achieved through traffic engineering, education, and yes, enforcement.
We’re working handinhand with our municipal partners like Deanna [Stockton] and Jim [Purcell] to my left and their engineering teams. We work to find traffic engineering solutions. We’re expanding community education like our recent seminar for our community members over the summer involving vulnerable road users. And also through traffic enforcement. If you look at the reports, you’ll see motor vehicle enforcement is reflected and incurring in a form of motor vehicle stops. The thing that is changing is the outcome of those stops.
My plan moving forward is clear. Staffing a dedicated traffic safety bureau has been challenging in recent years due to vacancies. As we reach full strength in the coming months, we plan to assign additional officers to that unit that will allow more directed patrols, high visibility details, and follow-through on resident complaints. We want to maintain that balance between education and enforcement. Our ultimate goal isn’t to be known for summons production. Our goal is safe, welcoming roadways. engineering, education, and yes, traffic enforcement each play a role in making that a reality.”
Captain Solovay was also promotoed to be the new Princeton Police Chief as part of planned Council business on Monday night.
Related materials: (via princetonnj.gov)
On Tuesday night, September 23, Princeton Council will review the Princeton Police Reports for the months of July 2025 and August 2025. Anyone who pays attention to these police reports will have noticed an extraordinary fact: they show that Princeton police have basically stopped writing speeding tickets.
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The Princeton Zoning Board of Adjustment has approved a proposal to construct a new addition to the building at 254 Witherspoon St. The new building would allow an extension of the JZ&D architecture practice, which is already housed at the site, and provide a new laundromat at the ground floor level.
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A new program for girls in Princeton will launch next week at Community Park Elementary School. “Girls In Gear”, a non-profit with chapters in multiple states, will bring their unique curriculum of ‘life skills through bike skills’ to young riders, aiming to “make sure every girl has the chance to grow into the biggest, boldest, and brightest version of themselves – on and off their bike”.
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Local non-profit ‘Sustainable Princeton’ is aiming to encourage residents to give their car a rest during the month of September. They are organizing a “Walk ’n Roll Challenge”, and the participants who log the most miles on foot or by bike will win prizes!
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Princeton Council has indefinitely postponed a proposed pilot program to run the town’s ‘Muni’ shuttle bus to the Princeton Dinky rail station. The matter came up with discussion of a resolution for funding the jitney program, at the Council meeting of July 28, 2025. Municipal staff had hoped to test whether a free transit option connecting to the rail station might be successful. A commuter route to the rail station was also recommended by a transit study commissioned by Council last year. But opposition from some local residents, who were unhappy with the proposed service change, persuaded Council members to abandon the plan for now.
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The first objections to Princeton’s ‘Fourth Round’ affordable housing plan have emerged, just weeks after Council gave it their approval (Report via ‘Town Topics’: “Affordable Housing Plan Gets Official Approval And Positive Feedback“). Although the plan was praised for its focus on protecting green space, and locating housing at walkable sites, not everybody is happy with it. In particular, William Shields, the former Chief of the Princeton Fire Department, appeared at the Princeton Council meeting on July 14 to express his dismay at plans to convert the old firehouse on Chestnut Street into affordable housing.
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Princeton Arts Council and Sustainable Princeton are among the sponsors of a community block party taking place on Sunday, June 22 on Walnut Lane. The event is called ‘Ciclovia’, the Spanish term for when streets are opened on a temporary for cyclists and pedestrians (Wikipedia: Ciclovía.) The first Ciclovias were held in Columbia, and spread to Canada in the 1970s and eventually all around the world. Princeton previously held Ciclovia events on Quaker Road in the mid-2010s. The 2025 Princeton Ciclovia is happening in a more central location: on Walnut Lane and Franklin Lane next to Princeton Middle School (map). This location is also next to a redevelopment area, the old Westminster Choir College site, and the town will be using the event to get input about what to do with this land.
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The town of Princeton has completed a new Housing Plan to identify where state-mandated affordable housing will be built in the 10-year period from 2025 – 2035. Along with hundreds of other towns in New Jersey, Princeton has been racing to get a plan ready ahead of a June 30 deadline defined in state law. Towns that do not provide a plan risk losing control of their ability to control local construction. Whereas other towns are proposing to build affordable housing on farms, Princeton’s plan has a focus on placing new housing in parts of town that are already developed. None of the housing would be built on fields or open spaces. This ‘Smart Growth’ approach ensures that most of the new housing will be in highly-walkable locations, with easy access to stores, jobs and parks.
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