GUEST OPINIONChip Crider
I have followed with interest Princeton University’s concept proposal for the new arts campus and it impact on the Dinky. I have a totally new concept to present that has not come up in the discussions.
The Dinky is not located where it should be; a downtown connection is clearly needed. I think of all the people that I’ve seen trudging up University Place, dragging their luggage.
Now NJ Transit wants to put a Bus Rapid Transit station alongside the dinky at essentially its present location. This BRT line would have its own dedicated right of way and would dump even more travelers in a spot where they don’t want to be.
Princeton University’s long range plans will greatly increase the density in the Merwick, Stanworth, and Princeton Hospital sites as well as build out the present campus and maybe in the future continue with more on the other side of the lake.
The town is going to be choked in traffic unless we take far-sighted action now. The jitney may be a good short-term solution, but in several years it too, will be jammed.
I’ve watched the Transit Village initiative flounder,first in Hamilton and then in West Windsor, because it seeks to bring the village to the transit by adding a lot of mixed-use development.
Beyond what the university is planning, we don’t really need further development. We need to bring bring the transit to the village instead of the reverse so that people will be encouraged to leave that second car at home. We need a downtown Dinky connection as well as connections at numerous other points around town.
Here is how I propose to accomplish all that:
Move the Dinky and proposed BRT terminals to the other side of the lake near the double bend on Alexander; provide ample ground level lots there as well as a connector road over to Washington Road and on further to Harrison Street. We want the commuters to drive and park at the new terminal; not to park in town. Further, we want the commuter park-and-ride traffic to be dispersed rather than concentrated on one artery.
Create a local transportation system such as a mini-rail (10 to 16-person coaches) or possibly one of the many Personal Rapid Transit systems presently under development with with smaller two to six-person coaches. I propose a hybrid system with scheduled mini-rail where ridership is highest and on demand PRT on the extremities.
Both of these options are small trains; much smaller than lightrail, and generally are rubber tired and may not even run on two rails. They are quiet, require minimal right of way (Five feet per track), and need minimal turning radii.
This system would be underground in some places, elevated in a few more, and grade level at the majority of areas and would be designed specifically for pedestrian access.
The system would service both PU and the town and fares could be paid with the Smart Card, the PU ID or though tokens. I’d call this the Speedy Princeton Urban Rapid Transit System (SPURTS ) or the Dinky Dinky. This is what you would call "the last mile" of public transportation in Princeton.
Start the main trunk of the system at the relocated Dinky/BRT complex coming at grade and going either over or under Faculty Road. with a stop there. Then send it onto the new arts campus at grade with a stop near the present Dinky stop and then underground. It would travel right up University Place underground with a possible U Store stop and take one of several possible routes to one of three possible western CBD stops.
From there it would go either over or under Paul Robeson Place and down the back of the YMCA/YWCA, Merwick, and Stanworth at grade with appropriate stops.
Then it would go elevated for several blocks and end up with a stop in the lawn of Community Park School to service it, the recreAtion complex and the hospital site.
From there it would continue elevated across Witherspoon and down the old trolley right of way on Guyot and back to the highschool fields. After crossing Walnut it would return to grade and go up along the eastern side of Walnut with stops at John Witherspoon School, PHS, and the Choir College. A small spur would also break off and go, mostly elevated, to the Princeton Shopping Center.
Have a second trunk leave the Faculty Road stop and travel along Faculty Road, first on the north side and then crossing over to an end stop at the faculty housing at Harrison Street to service it and Butler. There would be additional stops and spurs for Mid Campus South with a possible spur up Elm Drive, a spur going up the Westside of Washington Road clear to Prospect, a spur going by the east side of the Stadium and up Roper Lane to Prospect and the E Quad.
Have a third trunk leave the main one and continue, elevated,over Alexander to the Graduate Housing and Lawrence Apartments, and back to East side of Springdale Road with a stop at the Institute and finally ending at the Grad College.
Most of my proposed right of way would be on PU or town property and would require very limited use of eminent domain.
How would this be financed?
Clearly, the university would be a big beneficiary. If they don’t invest is some transportation system as they grow they will end up paying for this omission over and over. It will take their facilities workers longer to get even the simplest jobs done; the overall efficiency of the campus will be reduced, the time between classes will have to increase and they will find it harder to get support workers are willing to fight traffic to get to work.
The question is not whether they need to spend on transportation but whether they choose to build something like the SPURTS system of just endure eternal drains on their operating budgets.
Further, the proposed system need not be constructed all at once. Relocating the Dinky/BRT station and the building the main SPURTS trunk from there to the CBD would only be the initial step. Extensions and further growth could follow as needed.
The new Dinky/BRT parking area and station as well as the connector road byrights should be paid for by NJ Transit.
For the SPURTS line I don’t see PU having to invest all of the dollars. Rather, I see a window of opportunity in a report paid for by New Jersey Department of Transportion and delivered to Gov. Crozine in February. It is available online athttp://faculty.washington.edu/jbs/itrans/big/PRTfinalreport.pdf.
That report outlines the future of Personal Rapid Transit in NJ and refers to the systems I’ve mentioned above. It also notes that a mini transportation system has been in operation since the 1970’s. That system was paid for by the federal government and, by golly, it is located at a university.
The report summarizes the situations where this type of transportation would be feasible; every one of them describes a town like Princeton. It then suggests that a demonstration project be constructed.
That’s where we should hang our hat PU takes the intellectual and planning lead, the other entities contribute their talents and we secure a good portion of the funding from the state and federal governments as a pilot/research system.
This system could be ours. The window of opportunity will probably not remain open for long; we must discuss this and act now. Of utmost importance is to establish a right of way by PU purchase of key property and by placing the potential right of way on the master plan to protect it from development. In that manner we preserve our options for the future.
Chip Crider is a resident of Bank Street in Princeton and operates a scientific instrument business.