How Big Is Princeton? And Where Is It Anyway?

Posted on November 11, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Welcome to Princeton, NJ. And where is that exactly? (click to expand.)

Welcome to Princeton, NJ. Home of 400,000 people, according to some estimates. (click to expand.)

OK, here’s a question: how many people live in Princeton? Easy- right? Well, not really… Continue reading →

Posted in Local, planning, Princeton | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Princeton U. Launches Website To Get Feedback On Forward Strategic Plan

Posted on November 10, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Screenshot from Princeton University's new strategic planning website. (click to expand).

Screenshot from Princeton University’s new strategic planning website. (click to expand).

Princeton University impacts our town more than any other institution, and in 2015, the University is seeking to create a new strategic plan to organize the next chapter in its history. The University has just set up a new website at this link, which aims to inform and involve stakeholders about the planning process. Continue reading →

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New Costco To Open Just Outside Princeton

Posted on November 7, 2014 by walkableprinceton
Site of new Costco off Route 1 in Lawrence, NJ. (click to expand.)

Site of new Costco off Route 1 in Lawrence, NJ. (map via Google maps, click to expand.)

News just in via Brendan McGrath at the Times of Trenton: a new Costco is set to open in Lawrence Township just outside of Princeton. The proposed site is 4100 Quakerbrideg Road (see map above), which is right on the Lawrence/West Windsor border, about a mile south of the Princeton town line. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Downtown Vibrancy, Local | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

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.

Continue reading →

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 →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, Biking, Complete Streets, Princeton, Sustainability | Leave a comment

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“.

Continue reading →

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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