West Windsor And Mercer County Deserve A Real ‘Complete Street’ On Cranbury Road

Posted on November 7, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Cranbury Road (CR615) in West Windsor. (via Bing Maps, click to expand).

Cranbury Road (CR615) in West Windsor. Note the complete lack of sidewalks or bike facilities in the current condition. (via Bing Maps, click to expand).

West Windsor Township has been having a big public discussion recently about improving Cranbury Road, which is Mercer County Road 615. This discussion has been brought about by a brave and organized bunch of local residents, who are determined to see safety improvements. They persuaded the West Windsor authorities to commission a report to see what design alternatives could work to add safe walking and cycling facilities along CR615 in West Windsor. The report was subsequently published, outlining a number of different alternatives, which would have provided different amenities, and carried different costs in terms of both money and right-of-way.

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Posted in Alternative Transportation, Complete Streets, Local, planning, Sustainability | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Princeton Nassau Street In The 1920s And Today

Posted on November 6, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Nassau Street in the 1920s (left) and today (right). Image credits: PU Mudd library and Bing Maps. (click to expand)

Nassau Street in the 1920s (left) and today (right). Image credits: PU Mudd library and Bing Maps. (click to expand)

Old photos of Princeton are great, and here’s a good one. From Princeton University’s Mudd Library Twitter feed: a black-and-white shot of undergraduates walking down Nassau Street in the 1920s. Looking at the image, I’m struck by how…familiar…the surroundings are. The street appears remarkably similar to how it looks today.  Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton, Smart Growth, Traffic, Walking | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Walkable Princeton – Front Page News

Posted on November 5, 2014 by walkableprinceton
November 2014 Princeton Sun,

November 2014 Princeton Echo, with profile of ‘Walkable Princeton’ (right-hand column; click to expand).

A lot of Princeton people are probably not enjoying reading the newspapers today (Nov 5) but here is some front page news that is well worth checking out! ‘Walkable Princeton’ got a lead feature in last week’s “Princeton Echo”!  Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Alternative Transportation, Community, Complete Streets, Density, Local, People, Placemaking, Princeton, Smart Growth, Zoning | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Princeton Council Members Miller And Simon Speak Out Against Sidewalks And Bike Lanes

Posted on November 4, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Princeton Council

Meeting of Mayor and Princeton Council October 27. On stage, left to right, Jenny Crumiller, Bernie Miller, Mayor Liz Lempert, Lance Liverman, Jo Butler, and Patrick Simon. (click to expand)

For those of us who look forward to new ways to safely walk and bike around Princeton, events at the Princeton Council meeting of October 27 were pretty hard to watch. Council member Bernie Miller voted against a 500-ft sidewalk project that was part of the Sidewalk Masterplan, and a proposal to add bike lanes was shelved after several Council members- most notably Patrick Simon- spoke out forcefully against it. Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, Biking, Complete Streets, People, planning, Princeton, Sustainability, Walking | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Free Breakfast And Sustainable Cycling Discussion At Princeton Public Library Tomorrow

Posted on October 29, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Bikes in Princeton (click to expand.)

Bikes in Princeton. Sustainable Princeton will ask how to make it easier to get around by bike in Prineton at a ‘Great Ideas Breakfast on Thursday 10.30 at 8.15 a.m. at Princeton Public Library(click to expand.)

Princeton roads are full and parking is tough. It’s not clear that there’s space for any more cars. Future transportation needs in the area must be addressed by making it easier for people to switch to other forms of transport. Transit, walking and cycling are the most obvious solutions, but Princeton lags other college towns for bicycle transportation. Whereas Palo Alto and Davis, CA have bike mode share of 28%, in Princeton it’s just 3%. Growing bicycle transportation is a huge opportunity. It is also helpful for the increasing share of local residents who are interested in healthy living and reducing their carbon footprint. But how can we make it happen? That is the subject of a discussion session hosted by ‘Sustainable Princeton’ on Thursday morning, October 29 30 (tomorrow) at Princeton Public Library at 8.30 8.15 a.m. Continue reading →

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Marchetti’s Constant, And Transit Around Princeton

Posted on October 27, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Princeton shuttle and NE Regional NJ Transit line at Princeton Junction station. (click to expand.)

Princeton shuttle and NE Regional NJ Transit train, at Princeton Junction station. (click to expand.)

Most people in Princeton and Central Jersey would like to see better transit options. But in practice, the few transit options that we already have are not heavily used. Buses are driving around half-full, and the Dinky train is under-utilized. What kind of transit is likely to be successful? The answer is surprisingly simple, and it depends on something called “Marchetti’s Constant“.

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Friday Walkability Links

Posted on October 24, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Bicycles at Forbes College, Princeton. (click to expand)

Bicycles at Forbes College, Princeton. (click to expand)

Links to Princeton area walkability stories that you might have missed…

Jersey Rent Too High: House prices are through the roof in New Jersey…and it’s even worse for renters. What effect does it have on the economy and local middle-class people if a huge amount of their budget must be dedicated to housing costs? (via NJ Spotlight.) Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Alternative Transportation, Biking, Community, Complete Streets, Density, Local, People, Smart Growth, Transit, Zoning | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Princeton’s ‘Poe Road Preservation Associaton’ Has Got It Wrong On Sidewalks

Posted on October 17, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Poe Road in Princeton between Random Road and Route 27, where sidewalks are due to be added. (click to expand)

Poe Road in Princeton between Random Road and Route 27, where sidewalks are due to be added. (click to expand)

This weeks ‘Town Topics’ features a letter from a local resident claiming to represent the ‘Poe Road Preservation Associaton’, a group of neighbors who have organized to oppose a municipal engineering project that will complete a key section of Princeton’s sidewalk network. The letter makes several arguments against building the new sidewalks, but understates the importance of building them. Continue reading →

Posted in Complete Streets, Princeton, Walking | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Princeton Assembly Member Proposes Regional School Boards

Posted on October 14, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Littlebrook Elementary School in Princeton. (click to expand)

Littlebrook Elementary School in Princeton. (click to expand)

Donna Simon (R) who represents Princeton in the New Jersey Assembly, is proposing new legislation to set up a task force to study the possibility of regional school boards (via NJ.com). Her goal is to promote efficiency and save taxpayer dollars. Continue reading →

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In Princeton’s Tree Streets Neighborhood- Is This Graffiti Or A Political Statement?

Posted on October 13, 2014 by walkableprinceton
tree streets

“#WeAreN” – Linden Lane, Princeton, 2014. (click to expand)

One of the things that makes downtown Princeton so walkable is the mixture of houses old and new, gardens, parks and many different things to draw the eye of the walker. Walking is enjoyable, because there are many things to draw your interest. When walkability guru Jeff Bezos talks about the things that make walking appealing, he invariably talks about how walking must be ‘interesting’. (as well as ‘safe’, ‘comfortable’, and ‘useful’. A walk through Princeton’s Tree Streets neighborhood is invariably more interesting than a trek up Bunn Drive, because there is a constantly changing environment. One house in particular caught the eye on a recent stroll… Continue reading →

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