Friends of Herrentown Woods Trail Map of Herrentown Woods. (click to expand)
The Friends Of Herrentown Woods, a 501(c)3 non-profit that works to maintain and improve Princeton’s Herrentown Woods, has published a paper map of trails in the forest. The map was prepared following extensive work by the ‘Friends’ in the last few years to re-open and clear the trails, many of which had become overgrown. Continue reading
Princeton Housing Authority affordable homes at Clay Street in Princeton. Housing permits in Princeton have not kept pace with demand, especially at more economical price points. (Click to expand.)
Can Princeton Democrats take responsibility for adding new housing in Princeton? Based on a letter in last week’s ‘Packet’, it seems that the tide may be shifting toward a realization that more housing is necessary and even desirable. The letter, from longstanding PCDO member Anne Neumann, offers a useful range of solutions on the question of affordable housing, but strays into a partisan framing of the debate on expanding housing opportunity:
“Republicans argue that zoning and other building regulations constrict supply and drive up costs, so we should eliminate regulations. Then the free market will build housing for both high- and low-income households….”
Shaded area shows the extend of the new overnight parking restriction in Princeton, which will be subject to a vote by Council on 6/8/15. (click to expand.)
Princeton Council looks set to adopt new restrictions on overnight parking in town. A vote has been scheduled for Monday night, June 8, to decide how much of the town will be subject to a ban on overnight parking.
Lambertville, NJ is a fantastic town to walk around. (click to expand.)
Looking for a walkable place to live near Princeton? Terrified about getting trapped in the notorious Jersey sprawl? You’ve come to the right place. Here are fifteen places, near Princeton, where you can easily walk to stores and restaurants. No car required. Leave your ‘what exit?’ gags behind. This is walkable Central Jersey. Continue reading
Princeton is full of hidden parking lots, which are often less then half-full even at busy times.(click to expand).
Take out your smartphone. Click a button and say “SMALL WORLD COFFEE”. Instantly, your phone provides turn-by-turn directions to…an open parking spot near your destination of choice. You arrive shortly, and pull straight into the spot (without driving round on a frantic search for parking for 10 minutes). Getting out, you click a button, and payment is automatically charged to your online account. It’s the ‘Airbnb of Parking’ app, the software that makes parking in Princeton a breeze. Continue reading
Ettl Farm, which was developed as housing in Princeton Township in the 1990s. (click to expand).
Open space. A complete network of cycle paths. Housing options that preserved social and economic diversity. Stores that can be accessed easily on foot. All this was envisaged in 1973 by the Princeton Planning Board, as part of a 20-year vision plan called ‘A Princeton Of Villages’. The plan would have seen Princeton’s population grow to 40,000 by 1990, with new residents added in a series of clustered, mixed-use developments.
One potential site for new affordable housing in Princeton: The ‘Franklin Lot’ at Franklin Avenue and Harris Road. (click to expand.)
The Princeton Planning Board got an update on Wednesday night about affordable housing. Planning Director Lee Solow outlined the process by which the town will need to respond to a landmark decision of the New Jersey Supreme Court from earlier this year, which handed control of affordable housing obligations to the courts. As part of the discussion, Solow described four sites in Princeton that are either zoned or planned to provide future affordable housing.
Current conditions at Princeton’s Valley Road, which is set for engineering improvements. (click to expand.)
Princeton’s engineers held a public meeting last week to discuss planned upgrades to sanitary sewers and storm drains on Valley Road. As Princeton’s ‘Complete Streets’ policy calls for roads to be designed with all users in mind, the engineers also discussed opportunities for making the street layout friendlier to pedestrians and cyclists. Neighbors were invited to make suggestions on the kinds of improvements they would like to see. Continue reading
Visualization from the report of one option for running a modern streetcar on University Place in Princeton. (click to expand)
A task force set up to consider upgrades to transit service along Alexander Street and University Place is set to present a final report to Princeton Council. Their ‘preferred alternative’ is a streetcar/light rail service operating on the existing Princeton Branch rail line between Princeton Junction and Princeton Station, which would then continue via a dedicated track on the east side of University Place to a new stop in downtown Princeton on Nassau Street. The cost of building the new system would be at least $45 million. Continue reading
Princeton University’s campus is a site for all kinds of activities, such as bagpiping as seen here at a recent ‘Reunions’. The University is now inviting members of the community to give input on how they use the campus. (click to expand.)
Princeton University is reaching out to students, faculty, and members of the community with a new website called ‘Campus Compass‘. The site allows people to inform the University about how they use the campus, as part of the ongoing effort to make a new masterplan to address the University’s future needs. Continue reading
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