By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — A crowd of about 80 area residents, many of them voicing frustration over the parking crunch at the Princeton Junction train station, attended a joint meeting of the West Windsor Parking Authority and the Township Council on Saturday, hoping to hear possible solutions.
Township resident Alan Burger, who had to use the station for trips to regional hospitals for treatment of a serious illness in recent years, said parking for residents was extremely chancy, with few spaces available for non-commuting residents.
”The most frustrating thing about living in West Windsor is not being able to use the train station,” said Mr. Burger, addressing the audience at the West Windsor Volunteer Fire Co. No. 1 fire station on South Mill Road. “Having to drive around the parking lot and search for a parking space is inhuman.”
West Windsor resident and commuter Pavan Borra told the crowd about the daily commute he is forced to take because of his inability to get a parking permit.
Mr. Borra said he drops his wife off at the train station, who also commutes, and then drives north to a parking lot in Jersey City. He then hops on the PATH train and heads into Manhattan.
”We have been waiting four years for this permit,” Mr. Borra said.
A frustrated Allen Marx said that as a relatively new West Windsor resident, it was perplexing that the township had not yet moved to address the problem, especially for township residents.
”We moved here eight years ago, and I cannot believe the parking situation has not been resolved,” said Mr. Marx. “People in this township have had it up to here with not being able to park.”
One major theme voiced by residents was for surrounding municipalities to set up satellite parking lots, where commuters could park and then get on a bus to the station.
Resident Al Lerner pushed for the use of satellite parking, saying the far-flung lots could serve as a way for freeing up spaces at the station.
”Anything is better than the way it is now,” Mr. Lerner said.
One resident said the situation may be a mess, but suggested the township move in a direction that kept parking fees at their current levels, with resident-commuters paying around $33 monthly and non-residents around $60.
Recent studies performed by private firms have indicated that any station construction that was not to be funded by the township would result in a steep increases in parking charges, possibly up to $210 a month.
”When I moved here, I thought the commuting situation was a dream,” said Dan Fabrizio, who told the Parking Authority to make sure any action wouldn’t result in increased rates. “We love paying $160 a quarter.”
The public comment period also saw nonresidents voice their frustration.
Laura Poyd of Plainsboro said the parking situation was a cause of daily stress in her life.
”I am only three miles away from Princeton Junction, and the most stressful part of my commute is wondering if I will find a parking spot each day,” said Ms. Poyd. “By the time I get to work I feel like I am having a nervous breakdown.”
Ms. Poyd said that as a single mother, public transportation to the station was not an option because she had to take her children to and from school.
Saturday’s meeting comes as the Parking Authority plans to evaluate current demand for spaces preparatory to developing a plan for additional parking, most likely in the form of a multi-deck parking garage, according to Parking Authority President Andy Lupo.
He said building a parking deck may not be the most aesthetically pleasing solution, but the most feasible for the financial situation of the township and resident taxpayers.
”Going up is the answer,” said Mr. Lupo. “Going underground is too expensive.”
Also too expensive were proposals to build an additional pedestrian tunnel under the Northeast Corridor tracks to augment the existing tunnels near the station. The only option would be to build a crossing going over the tracks, which would cost somewhere around $5 million today, said Mr. Lupo, who linked funding to the township’s ongoing redevelopment process for the area around the station.
”Without redevelopment, no one wants to fund it,” said Mr. Lupo. “With redevelopment, it would be more absorbable.”
Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) was in the audience Saturday, listening to her constituents and West Windsor officials discuss parking problems at one of the busier stations in New Jersey.
”It’s very important that the Parking Authority is having these meetings and gathering public input,” said Ms. Greenstein. “The public has good ideas. I hope this is the beginning of some solutions to this regional issue.”
A crucial step in any parking planning will be arriving at an accurate estimate of the waiting list and the associated demand for parking, according to Mr. Lupo, who said people on the waiting list who were sent communications from the Parking Authority were unresponsive.
For the Parking Authority, that situation signified a need to thoroughly evaluate the waiting list and the demand prior to any plan for additional parking.
In an overview of the current situation, Parking Authority officials said the station’s current parking system provides a total of 3,600 parking spots, of which 2,600 are for permit-holding commuters, with the remaining 1,000 reserved for daily, first-come first-served use.
For those 2,600 permit spaces, there are 3,900 permit holders, a ratio of 1.5 permits per space. This ratio stems from the fact that permit holders do not park at the station every day, Mr. Lupo said.
West Windsor residents make up 45 percent of all permit holders, with Princeton residents holding 14 percent and Plainsboro residents 10 percent.
The waiting list shows a strong need for additional parking, with 5,200 people waiting to receive a permit, and an estimated wait of around seven years, according to Mr. Lupo. Of those on the waiting list, 47 percent are West Windsor residents, 12 percent Plainsboro residents and 10 percent Princeton residents.
Based on the findings, the station is short about 2,000 to 3,000 spaces, Mr. Lupo said. The Parking Authority chairman emphasized the interrelated nature of the parking situation and the daily commute.
”The parking and the commute on the train is a package,” said Mr. Lupo. “If one of them goes wrong it means I having a lousy day.”
Mr. Lupo announced Saturday that West Windsor residents could now park in the Wallace Road permit parking lot on the Alexander Road side of the station on Saturdays and Sunday without fear of getting ticketed. The new policy was adopted recently by the township, Mr. Lupo said.

