Are Princeton’s Schools ‘Full To Bursting’? What Is To Be Done?

Princeton High School with snow and moon. (click to expand.)

Princeton High School with snow and moon. (click to expand.)

Are Princeton’s schools too crowded? Some local residents are complaining that classrooms are too full, and that Princeton therefore cannot accommodate any more families with kids. Further expansion in the school system is also argued to be unaffordable because of the expense. Is there any truth to these claims?

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Walking Together

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It’s MLK Day, Princeton. Click here and go make it special. Got to work? At least read this. Check out this great video of the “I have a dream” speech, posted at Planet Princeton.

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FreshDirect Now Offering Car-Free Groceries In Princeton

Fresh Direct van for grocery delivery. (click to expand.)

Fresh Direct van for grocery delivery. (click to expand.) Photo by Frank Lynch via Brownstoner.

Whereas grocery shopping is regularly touted as a key reason for owning a car, we noted last year that there are many ways to get groceries home without driving. One of the ways we suggested was to take advantage of online grocery services that offer home delivery. Peapod operates in Princeton- offering home grocery delivery for $9.99. But Princeton residents now have a choice, with the launch of FreshDirect in Princeton! Continue reading

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Princeton Carbon Footprint Confirms Sustainability Benefits Of Walkable Homes

Carbon output map of Princeton and surrounding zipcodes in New Jersey. Red indicates greater carbon output, green indicates lower carbon output. (Click to expand.) Courtesy of

Carbon output map of Princeton and surrounding zipcodes in New Jersey. Red indicates greater carbon output, green indicates lower carbon output. (Click to expand.) Courtesy of

An amazing new tool from the University of Berkeley, California has estimated carbon emissions from every zipcode area in the United States. The goal is to provide information to local government about how they can target efforts to reduce the carbon impact of their local areas.  Continue reading

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Princeton To Get New Café On Nassau Street

Site of soon-to-open Café Vienna, on Nassau Street in Princeton. (click to expand.)

Site of soon-to-open Café Vienna, on Nassau Street in Princeton. (click to expand.)

If you like drinking coffee in Princeton, you are already pretty spoiled with Small World and Rojo’s Roastery, but your options are about to get even better! A new café looks set to open on Nassau Street, in Princeton’s walkable downtown core. Continue reading

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What To Do About Smashed ‘Stop For Pedestrians’ Pylon In Downtown Princeton?

In-street 'Stop For Pedestrians' signs on Chambers Street in downtown Princeton. (click to expand)

In-street ‘Stop For Pedestrians’ signs on Chambers Street in downtown Princeton. (click to expand)

Last year, Princeton installed new ‘Stop For Pedestrians’ signs on Chambers Street, just off Palmer Square in the historic downtown area. The signs were added at the request of a neighbor, who observed that car traffic tended to exceed the speed limit and drivers often did not cede the right-of-way to pedestrians trying to cross at the intersection with Hulfish Street. One of the pylons has now been smashed. What should be the response? Continue reading

Posted in Complete Streets, Princeton, Traffic, Walking | Tagged | 3 Comments

Princeton Battlefield Development Shows The Cost Of Opposing In-Town Density

Institute of Advanced Study housing off Springdale Road in Princeton. Eagle-eyed readers will spot the spire of Fuld Hall in the distance. (click to expand.)

Institute Of Advanced Study housing off Springdale Road in Princeton. Eagle-eyed readers will spot the spire of Fuld Hall in the distance. (click to expand.)

Since about 1980, planners have recognized that compact, walkable development is the best way to foster livable towns, reduce car use, and protect green spaces. This way of planning is a self-conscious return to the layout of traditional towns- where stores, homes and workplaces are placed close together to minimize travel time between them. But this consensus has still not filtered through to the level of the Princeton Masterplan, and Continue reading

Posted in Density, Princeton, Smart Growth, Sustainability, Traffic, Transit, Zoning | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Has Christie Undermined Princeton Transportation Planning?

In an early contender for "Worst-Photoshop-Job-2014", the 'Trentonian' mocked Governor Christie over BridgeGate by putting a picture of him on their front page with a traffic cone on his head. (click to expand.)

The ‘Trentonian’ mocked Governor Christie over ‘Bridge-Gate’ by putting a very badly Photoshopped picture of him with a traffic cone on his head on their front page. As seen in Princeton, January 9, 2014. (click to expand.)

Governor Christie finally found some enthusiasm for transit issues this week as he threw two of his highest-ranking aides ‘under the bus’. It was front page news as Jerseyans reacted with bemusement to Christie’s press conference in which he claimed he didn’t know that his officials conspired to inflict traffic chaos on the town of Fort Lee in retribution for the Mayor’s refusal to support Christie’s reelection bid in last year’s Gubernatorial vote.  Under the pretense of conducting a ‘traffic study’, top Christie honchos closed several lanes of the George Washington Bridge, leading to 4-hour commutes, delayed emergency responses and children trapped in school buses for hours on end in nearby Fort Lee. The story raises a couple of important questions….

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How One Normal Family Gets By Without A Car And Saves Money

This family from Buffalo, NY lives car-free year-round. (Click to expand.)

This family from Buffalo, NY lives car-free year-round. (Click to expand.) Image credit: Mark Mulville, Buffalo News.

Need some inspiration to hop on two wheels? How about this amazing family from Buffalo, NY, who have lived without a car despite snow and a hectic schedule involving multiple kids? Continue reading

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Is That A Good Deal? “Walk/Bike To Town”

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House at 28 Mason Drive, Princeton, offered at $3,300 / month. (Click to expand.)

As part of an occasional series where we cast an eye over walkable rentals and real estate in Princeton, we invite you to comment on a current, local listing. You can find previous entries here and here.

A 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house is listed for rent at 28 Mason Drive Princeton.  Continue reading

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