walkableprinceton

Princeton Planners Identify Four Potential Sites For New Affordable Housing

Posted on May 21, 2015 by walkableprinceton

One potential site for new affordable housing: The 'Franklin Lot' at Franklin Avenue and Harris Road. (click to expand.)

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.

Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, planning, Princeton, Zoning | Leave a comment

How To Make Valley Road A ‘Complete Street’ That Works For Everybody

Posted on May 19, 2015 by walkableprinceton

Current conditions at Princeton's Valley Road, which is up for engineering. (click to expand.)

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 →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, Biking, Complete Streets, Events, Placemaking, planning, Princeton, Sustainability, Traffic, Trails, Walking | Tagged bike planning, charette, Complete streets, Princeton | 2 Comments

Final Report Of Princeton Transit Task Force Recommends Streetcar Upgrade For Dinky Rail Line

Posted on May 11, 2015 by walkableprinceton

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 →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, Complete Streets, planning, Princeton, Sustainability | Tagged nj transit, Princeton, streetcars, Transit | 2 Comments

Princeton U. Requests Input For Campus Plan With ‘Campus Compass’ Website

Posted on May 7, 2015 by walkableprinceton

Princeton University's campus is a site for all kinds of activities, such as bagpiping. The University is now gathering info on how members of the community use the campus. (click to expand.

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 →

Posted in Community, planning, Princeton | Leave a comment

Remembering The Old Princeton Trolley

Posted on May 5, 2015 by walkableprinceton

“Waiting for passengers to Trenton is Trenton-Princeton Traction car 21 near Witherspoon Street in Princeton in 1939. The line had been cut back to this point from the former Witherspoon Street trackage by this date. [Photo from Stephen D. Maguire]”* (click to expand)

Any day now, the long-awaited report of the Princeton Alexander Street-University Place MOU Transit Task Force is due to be published. The Task Force was established to investigate opportunities for upgrading transit service along the key Alexander Street corridor leading into downtown Princeton. Among the possibilities under discussion is the idea of replacing the aging Arrow II heavy rail train service between Princeton Junction and Princeton Station with a modern streetcar or light rail. With the chance of streetcars returning to Princeton’s streets, it’s worth remembering the glory days of the old streetcars, which connected Princeton and Trenton in the early years of the 20th century. Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, planning, Transit | Tagged Princeton, streetcar, Transit | Leave a comment

Cancellation of Princeton-Plainsboro Bus Line Shows Challenges With Princeton Transit

Posted on April 23, 2015 by walkableprinceton

The #655 ‘HealthLine’ bus, seen here in Princeton, is facing the ax in NJ Transit cutbacks (click to expand).

This week, NJ Transit announced fare hikes and service cutbacks. Among all the bus lines in New Jersey, the only year-round daily service that is getting the chop is our #655 service between Princeton and Plainsboro. The #655 line was launched in 2012, with support from six funding partners including Princeton Healthcare System and Princeton University. It was intended to provide a transit link to the new hospital, and also provided a link between Princeton and residential areas of Plainsboro. But the bus line has reportedly struggled for ridership, and now faces termination. How is it possible that the #655 hasn’t worked out, given Princeton’s stated dedication to transit? Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, planning, Princeton, Smart Growth, Traffic, Transit | Tagged nj transit, planning, Princeton, Transit | Leave a comment

Whole Earth Center Hits 45th Anniversary – Showing Localism Can Win!

Posted on April 22, 2015 by walkableprinceton

Princeton's Whole Earth Center celebrates its 40th birthday. (click to expand(

Princeton’s Whole Earth Center celebrates its 45th birthday last Saturday, April 18. (click to expand)

Last Saturday, ‘Whole Earth Center’ on Nassau Street celebrated its 45th anniversary with a party and a sale (see photo above). The Whole Earth Center has been in the Princeton community since 1970, when its arrival was marked by a short article in ‘Town Topics’, alerting its readers to a “non-profit community project which will sell natural and organic foods and books about ecology…” Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton, Sustainability | Leave a comment

Princeton Council Holds Firm On Controversial Poe Road Sidewalks

Posted on April 16, 2015 by walkableprinceton

Sidewalks on either side of Poe Road, as currently exist beyond Roper Road, will now be extended to Route 27 following a Council decision. (click to expand).

Sidewalks on either side of Poe Road, as currently exist beyond Random Road, will now be extended to Route 27 following a Princeton Council decision. (click to expand).

At their regular meeting on Monday night, Princeton Council discussed an ongoing question about sidewalks on Poe Road between Random Road and Route 27. Neighbors along this section of Poe Road have fought the plan to install sidewalks here, even though this improvement is part of Princeton’s municipal sidewalk masterplan. Despite the opposition, Council agreed in principle to move ahead with sidewalks last November, with only one member- Bernie Miller- voting against. But opposition has continued. Whereas municipal engineers had made plans for sidewalks on either side of the street, opponents in the neighborhood argued for just one sidewalk, on the western side of Poe Road. Council discussed this question in a work session, but ultimately decided to continue with the plan to build both sidewalks on either side of the street. Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, Complete Streets, People, planning, Princeton, Sustainability, Walking | Tagged Complete streets, Princeton, sidewalks | Leave a comment

Princeton’s Most Walkable Neighborhoods

Posted on April 14, 2015 by walkableprinceton

Walkability in Princeton, as scored by walkscore.com. Darker green areas are more walkable. Unshaded areas are car-dependent. (click to expand.)

Princeton is known as a walkable town, but the ease with which residents can walk to amenities varies greatly between different neighborhoods. A new map of walkability from walkscore.com allows us to easily see which neighborhoods are most walkable. The walkscore.com algorithm takes into account the stores and attractions that are within walking distance, and gives each location a ‘walkscore’ of 0-100. 100 is the best, representing a “walker’s paradise”. Viewed on a map (see above), walkable areas are green, with yellow shading representing moderately walkable neighborhoods, and unshaded areas more car-dependent. (click here for a zoom-able map). Continue reading →