Report: ‘Whole Foods Market’ Coming To Route 206 By Princeton Airport

Posted on December 12, 2018 by walkableprinceton

The ‘Montgomery Promenade’ site, looking toward Princeton Airport along Route 206. (click to expand, image via Google Streetview)

According to a report by Sophie Nieto-Munoz at NJ Advance Media, Whole Foods Market is planning to open a new supermarket in Montgomery Township, less than a mile from the Princeton town line. The site (click here for map) is the proposed ‘Montgomery Promenade’ development, which was formerly a VW dealership, next to Princeton Airport, and near the intersection of Route 206 and 518. Plans for a bowling alley at this location have apparently fallen through, but Whole Foods Market (which was recently acquired by Amazon.com) will be moving in instead. Continue reading →

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Princeton Should Make Public Participation In Planning Much Easier

Posted on December 10, 2018 by walkableprinceton

Princeton Public Schools Administrative Buildings on Valley Rd. The School District canceled plans for expansion after a botched planning process. (click to expand)

On Tuesday night, Princeton Council is having a special public meeting to set priorities for 2019. This meeting focuses on ‘User Friendly Government’, and while it’s not entirely clear what this means, it is certainly true that the town could benefit greatly from expanding public participation in local planning. 2018 has been marked by two local planning fiascos. The $130 million bond referendum proposed by Princeton Public Schools (see photo above) was canceled as local residents realized that the money would be spent on plans that had received little or no public consideration. Meanwhile, the town’s plans to address a state requirement to build hundreds of new affordable homes remain shrouded in secrecy, despite the town promising earlier this year to complete the process by August. Both processes would have benefited from more public input. Can this be achieved? Continue reading →

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Princeton Launches Online Bus Tracking for ‘FreeB’ Shuttle

Posted on November 28, 2018 by walkableprinceton

FreeB Bus tracking screen at Princeton Library. (click to expand)

If you have been in Princeton Public Library recently, you may have noticed something new on the screen in the lobby. The town has placed GPS tracking technology in the ‘FreeB’ shuttle, which runs around the town offering free transit for local residents. Library visitors can check the screen to see where exactly the bus is, and when it is due to arrive at the library. But there’s more. FreeB riders, or people who are interested in riding the FreeB, can also see where the bus is and get real-time arrival information using any computer or smart phone. This new information should make it much easier to use the FreeB service, and help make sure that nobody misses the bus again. Continue reading →

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How Walkable Are West Windsor’s Proposed New Housing Developments?

Posted on November 4, 2018 by walkableprinceton

‘Freedom Village at West Windsor’ under construction in October 2018. The development will provide housing for disabled and low-income people. (click to expand. via Project Freedom)

Last month, West Windsor Township, NJ announced its proposed affordable housing settlement. The settlement explains how the town plans to provide its ‘fair share’ of affordable housing, as is required by state law. Every other town in Mercer County, with the exception of Princeton, had already settled its affordable housing requirements. The developments proposed in the ‘fair share plan’ are likely to have a significant impact on West Windsor Township. The town will be adding over 4,000 new housing units, in a town that currently has a population of about 27,000. But how will the new developments affect the built environment in West Windsor? Do the development proposals offer an opportunity for West Windsor to become more walkable? We took a look at the plans to find out more. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Placemaking, planning, Real estate, Smart Growth, Transit | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Princeton Council Calls For Use of Speed Cameras In New Jersey

Posted on November 2, 2018 by walkableprinceton

Police speed board, as used in Princeton. These devices do not issue tickets. (click to expand)

At their meeting last Monday, Princeton Council passed a resolution calling on the State of New Jersey to allow local towns to install automated traffic control devices, including speed cameras and red light enforcement cameras. New Jersey is currently one of just three states that prohibit the use of speed cameras, which means that towns like Princeton are not able to use them to enforce local speed limits. Speeding remains a pervasive problem in Princeton. Police have responded to regular complaints from residents about speeding by installing radar speed display signs, which show drivers how fast they are traveling, but which do not issue tickets. These speed display signs are usually effective for a number of weeks, but do not act as a lasting deterrent against speeding. Continue reading →

Posted in Biking, Complete Streets, Princeton, Traffic, Walking | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Mayor’s Bike Ride in Princeton: Photos

Posted on October 8, 2018 by walkableprinceton

Riders arrive for the start of the “Mayor’s Bike Ride”. (click to expand.)

On Sunday, the “Mayor’s Bike Ride” took place in Princeton. About 70 riders defied rode from Community Park South to Mountain Lakes Park along with Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert. Continue reading →

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Gov. Murphy Proposal To Desegregate NJ Schools Poses Questions About Princeton School Bond

Posted on September 3, 2018 by walkableprinceton

Princeton School Board Offices at Valley Road. (click to expand)

Princeton Board of Education meets tonight (9.4.18*) to consider whether to place a $130 million bond before voters for a November referendum. The $130 million is intended to expand local schools to provide capacity for anticipated growth in student numbers. But the decision is being taken as another – potentially far more dramatic – process is being played out. And that process might make the proposed expansion of Princeton schools unnecessary, even before it is completed. Continue reading →

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Princeton Council Dedicates Franklin Avenue Affordable Housing Site As Interim Parking Lot

Posted on August 28, 2018 by walkableprinceton

The Franklin Avenue parking lot in Princeton. (click to expand)

Princeton Council focused on parking once again at their Monday night meeting, and decided to expand the range of parking options in town by at least 150 spaces. Specifically, Council decided to start charging for parking at the Franklin Avenue parking lot, which formally was used for staff and visitors to the old Princeton Hospital, but which has lain empty for several years since the hospital moved to Plainsboro. Long-term, this site is going to be used for affordable housing, but Council decided that people should be allowed to pay to use it as daily employee parking for one to two years, before construction of the new housing begins. Continue reading →

Posted in planning, Princeton, Smart Growth, The Parking Question | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Can Princeton’s Housing Plan Deliver The Town’s “Fair Share” Of Affordable Homes? Six Reasons Why It Might Not…

Posted on July 18, 2018 by walkableprinceton

These affordable homes on Franklin Avenue in Princeton will be demolished according to the town’s housing plan… (click to expand)

After a lengthy court battle last year, a top Mercer County judge told the town of Princeton that it needs to build at least 753 new affordable homes by 2025. In response, the town has put together a housing plan, which aims to meet this obligation. The plan was presented to Council on May 17 of this year, and posted on the town website. Ten sites were identified where new affordable housing could be constructed, which would theoretically meet the requirements set by the court. The town must now present its plan to Judge Jacobson, in a hearing * scheduled for next Tuesday, July 24. If the Judge approves the plan, then the town of Princeton will be protected from ‘builders remedy’ lawsuits, where developers seek the court’s permission to build more than what is allowed by local zoning. But is the town’s housing plan realistic? Several issues suggest that the Judge may be skeptical… Continue reading →

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How ‘Filtering’ Affects Housing Affordability in New Jersey

Posted on July 17, 2018 by walkableprinceton

Mercer County, NJ Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson, who ruled in recent housing case. (click to expand). Via njcourts.com

On both coasts of the USA, high housing costs have become a major problem. Residents in states like California, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts often have to pay a very high proportion of their income just to find a place to live – a problem that results in many residents seeking a less expensive place to live in other states. Two potential solutions could provide more affordable housing. The first is to build more social housing, operated by local government or non-profit agencies, and provided to qualifying low-income households. The other approach is to build lots more market-rate housing, in the hope that some of it will become affordable over time. But does this really happen in real life? A major recent court case in Mercer County, New Jersey addressed this issue… Continue reading →

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