walkableprinceton

Princeton U. Should Ask Some Serious Questions About Their Disappearing Professors

Posted on March 4, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Suburban amenities of Princeton's Western Section are not enough to hold Nobel laureate Alan Krugman. (Click to expand,)

The suburban amenities and open space of Princeton’s Western Section are not enough to hold Nobel laureate Paul Krugman. (Click to expand,)

Professor Paul Krugman, recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize for Economics, and Professor of Economics and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University, has announced he is leaving Princeton. Writing in his New York Times column, Krugman announced he is moving to New York where he will take up a position at City University. Krugman joins a host of senior Princeton U. faculty who have recently quit the University, and his stated reasons ought to give the University cause for concern. Continue reading →

Posted in Placemaking, Princeton, Smart Growth | Tagged krugman, liberal, New York Times, Placemaking, Princeton University, Redevelopment | 1 Comment

Walkable Princeton Celebrates 1st Birthday, Looks To Future

Posted on March 2, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Nothing says a party like a badly-put-together graphic! (click to expand.)

Happy Birthday to us! (click to expand.)

Happy Birthday to us! Walkable Princeton has passed its first birthday. January 22, 2014 was the date when Walkable Princeton founder David Keddie published his original letter announcing “an advocacy group dedicated to calling for zoning reform that will allow more members of our community to enjoy a walkable lifestyle.” One year on, Walkable Princeton is still going, and it’s Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Alternative Transportation, Complete Streets, Density, Downtown Vibrancy, Placemaking, Princeton, Smart Growth, Sustainability, Traffic, Transit, Walking, Zoning | Tagged planning, Princeton, sustainability, Walkability | Leave a comment

Push Button And Pretend To Be A Car To Cross Route 27 In Kingston, NJ

Posted on February 28, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Push button for green light…wait, what green light? (click to expand)

Kingston, NJ, a few miles outside of Princeton, is a pretty small town with an active main street lined by local businesses. Unfortunately, that main street is Route 27, which is a big barrier to pedestrians. The intersection of Route 27 and Heathcote Road / Laurel Ave is particularly dangerous, because Heathcote Road funnels commuter traffic from Route 1 onto Route 27. At rush hour, much of this traffic is headed for Princeton. To cross the intersection, there is a crosswalk, which has a push-button for pedestrians with a sign saying ‘PUSH BUTTON WAIT FOR GREEN LIGHT’ (see photo above). The only question is: where is the green light? Continue reading →

Posted in Complete Streets, Local, Walking | Tagged kingston, New Jersey, NJDOT, Princeton, south brunswick | 1 Comment

Hamburg, Germany To Ban Cars By 2034

Posted on February 27, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Hamburg, the second-biggest city in Germany, is set to go completely car-free by 2030. (Click to expand.)

Now how about this for a goal for sustainability? Hamburg, the second-biggest city in Germany (population: 1.8 million) is planning to ban all cars from the city by 2034.
Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Transportation, The Parking Question, Traffic | Tagged germany, planning, Walkability | Leave a comment

Can We Make More Space For People On Princeton’s Witherspoon Street?

Posted on February 26, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Outdoor dining at Terra Momo Bread Co...can we maybe get a bit more of this in downtown Princeton? (Click to expand.)

Outdoor dining at Terra Momo Bread Co…can we get more of this in downtown Princeton? (Click to expand).

Kevin Wilkes, Chair of the Alexander Street Task Force updated Princeton residents last Saturday about plans to revamp circulation and transit around the Dinky station and in downtown Princeton. Speaking at a meeting of Princeton Future at the public library, Wilkes presented possible concepts that his committee are considering. One exciting possibility relates to street use along Witherspoon between Nassau Street and Hulfish Street in downtown Princeton. The Alexander Street Task Force have been studying a traffic model, with which it is possible to Continue reading →

Posted in Complete Streets, Downtown Vibrancy, Placemaking, Princeton, The Parking Question | Tagged planning, Princeton, Princeton University, Witherspoon Street | 1 Comment

New 7-11 At Princeton’s West Coast Video: Good, Bad Or Ugly?

Posted on February 25, 2014 by walkableprinceton

The West Coast Video Site at 259 Nassau Street. (Click to expand).

Remember the ‘good old days’, when if you wanted to watch a movie at home, you had to go round to a store and rent out a book-sized ‘videotape’? It was pretty expensive and you had to pay extra if you were one day late bringing it back? Crazy, right…why didn’t we just watch it on Netflix? Well, that’s what we do now, and that’s why the West Coast Video store at 259 Nassau Street has been shuttered for years. But new life is coming to the site in the form of…a 7-11 convenience store! Are you excited? The online consensus (as seen at Princeton’s primary online news forum, ‘Planet Princeton’) is that Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Downtown Vibrancy, Princeton | Tagged 7-11, Princeton, walkable | 12 Comments

Report: New Jersey Is Second-Worst State In The Country For Housing Cost

Posted on February 24, 2014 by walkableprinceton

A home for sale in Princeton. Princeton and New Jersey are responsible for some of the worst housing costs in the country. (Click to expand).

Statistics released last week from the non-profit Center for Housing Policy reveal that New Jersey is the second-worst state in the USA for housing expense. 31% of New Jerseyans are facing a ‘severe cost burden’ in paying for their homes. A severe cost burden is defined as spending greater than 50% of household income on housing costs. The only state in the country that has a worse percentage of cost-burdened households is California, where 32% of households face a severe cost burden. But Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, Local, Princeton, Real estate, Zoning | Tagged affordability, housing, New Jersey, Princeton, Real estate | 2 Comments

Princeton’s “Hometown” Trader Joe’s Is Not In Princeton. Is That OK?

Posted on February 21, 2014 by walkableprinceton

The sign talks about Princeton's "Hometown" Trader Joe's. But it's in West Windsor. (click to expand)

Have you visited Princeton’s “Hometown” Trader Joe’s? (click to expand)

Trader Joe’s is a great place to find fun stuff that’s good to eat. People drive from all over Central Jersey to shop at ‘Trader Joe’s Princeton’. There’s just one thing that about it that is a little bit annoying…well, two actually…. Continue reading →

Posted in Downtown Vibrancy, Local | Tagged merchants, Princeton, shopping | 4 Comments

Discuss Traffic Matters With Princeton Future At Princeton Library This Saturday, Feb 22, 2014

Posted on February 20, 2014 by walkableprinceton

This image shows a number of features of a ‘Complete Street’. Can you name then? (Click to expand, image via Local Motion).

This Saturday (2/22/2014) Princeton Future will hold a public meeting at Princeton Public Library at 9 a.m. to discuss matters relating to Traffic and Transit in Princeton. The meeting will focus on how to implement the new Circulation Element of the Princeton Masterplan, which aims to ‘entice people out of their cars and to promote using mass transit, bicycles or walking as their primary means of travel.’

Continue reading →

Posted in Biking, Complete Streets, People, Princeton, Traffic, Transit, Walking | Tagged Complete streets, library, Princeton | 2 Comments

Princeton UPS Store To Relocate To Nassau Street

Posted on February 19, 2014 by walkableprinceton

Existing UPS Store at Grigg’s Corner, Princeton. (Click to expand.)

If you’re still getting over the news that Princeton’s USPS post office is about to move out of the historic home on Palmer Square, then get ready for another surprise. The United Parcel Service outlet on Witherspoon Street, opposite the public library, is also downsizing and is set to move to a new location on Nassau Street. Continue reading →