Concern rises as Princeton University announces development plans and state investigates bus rapid transit
By: Courtney Gross
From before sunrise until after midnight, the Dinky glides from Princeton to West Windsor and back again, whisking away commuters toward trains heading to New York, Trenton, Philadelphia and elsewhere.
The Princeton Shuttle, a single-track one-car service spanning the approximately 3-mile distance from Princeton to the Princeton Junction train station in West Windsor, has provided a vehicle to get to the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor for many generations of Princeton residents.
Although the existence of the route has not been jeopardized, the future of the venue for transportation service may be uncertain.
As the state continues to investigate the possibility of creating a bus rapid transit system along the Route 1 corridor and as Princeton University plans to move the Dinky station 500 feet to the south, commuters in the Princeton area are questioning how these recent proposals will affect their daily commute.
In response to a study released in March and conducted by NJ Transit in cooperation with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority and the state Department of Transportation, Princeton Borough officials will conduct a public forum on the future of the Dinky.
The forum, scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday at Borough Hall and organized by Borough Councilman Andrew Koontz and Planning Board member and former borough Mayor Marvin Reed, is intended to receive comments from Dinky commuters on the service’s possible future.
"At least finding out from the Dinky commuters what their major concerns are," Mr. Reed said of the forum’s goals. "Some of it has to do with schedules … some (with the) kind of equipment," he added.
The bus rapid transit system outlined in the NJ Transit study would include rubber-wheeled vehicles that travel either on the shoulder of current roadways or on other designated thoroughfares, Mr. Reed said. While connecting commuters with rail stations and final destinations, the service is supposed to be separated from other traffic.
Covering the entire area analyzed, including parts of Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties, the bus rapid transit system is estimated to cost between $600 million and $700 million, according to NJ Transit.
An analysis that began in 2004 and involved numerous regional agencies and public outreach, the study examines the congested Route 1 corridor areas from Trenton to South Brunswick.
In addition to the public session on the ins and outs of the state study and the university’s proposed Dinky station move, the circulation subcommittee of the Regional Planning Board of Princeton will meet Nov. 28 to review the positives and negatives of a bus rapid transit system throughout the Princeton area and the Route 1 corridor, Mr. Reed said.
Within the study, titled "Central New Jersey Route 1 Bus Rapid Transit Alternatives Analysis," six options for the Dinky were reviewed one with an "as is" service and three were earmarked for further analysis and study.
The final options include replacing the existing rail line entirely with a paved road for bus rapid transit use, adding an additional track to increase service, or constructing a roadway that would supplement the current Dinky service.
In July, the Central Jersey Transportation Forum, a group of municipal, county and state officials that meets quarterly to review regional initiatives, endorsed the concepts of the study, Mr. Reed said.
Although the plans could eventually affect commuters, the study suggests all parties would work together to further implement any changes.
And the forum’s organizers recognize funding for any improvements by NJ Transit may not be available in the near future.
"I think there is a realistic question whether NJ Transit would have funding in hand to do anything dramatic in the area," said Mr. Koontz, a daily commuter and Dinky rider.
In response to the university’s plans, Kristin Appelget, Princeton University director of community and regional affairs, said the university has planned only to move the Dinky station not eliminate it. The service, she added, is heavily used by university faculty, staff and students and is a valued part of their transportation system.
"The Dinky is an important transportation link not only for the community and the campus," Ms. Appelget said. "As part of our campus planning process, we’re trying to be sensitive to all aspects of design, and some of that is looking at longer-term NJ Transit initiatives," she added.

