By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
Residents, business owners, employees, customers and visitors who want to have a say in how parking is handled in Princeton have a few more days to weigh in by filling out a parking survey sponsored by Princeton Council., The survey, which is available online at www.princetonnj.gov, will close May 31. The completed surveys will be forwarded to consultant Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc., for review and analysis., The initial findings, survey results and analyses of weekday and weekend parking usage will be presented at a parking study meeting, set for June 14 at Witherspoon Hall at 400 Witherspoon Street., There will be an open house from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. so that the public may review the parking demand maps and analysis. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. It is the second in a series of three meetings to discuss parking in Princeton., “Parking in and around the Central Business District is a limited resource, making it even more important to have a system that works,” Mayor Liz Lempert said. “Using a data-based approach will help as we work with the community to evaluate proposed changes.”, But input – filling out the survey – is needed from residents, business owners, visitors and anyone else who has had to park in town if the study is to be successful., The survey, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete, asks a range of questions – from the respondent’s primary connection to downtown Princeton (resident, business owner, employee, student or visitor) to the neighborhood in which they live, such as Witherspoon-Jackson, the “tree streets,” downtown or “other.”, It asks where the respondent typically parks in the neighborhood – off-street in a private driveway, on the street in front of one’s home or on the street elsewhere in the neighborhood., And if the respondent says that he or she parks on the street, the survey asks for the reason. It also seeks to find out the on-street parking conditions in the neighborhood – from how difficult to how easy it is to find parking., Another set of questions addresses how frequently the respondent visits downtown Princeton, and how do they get there – on foot, by bicycle, by public transit or by car., If the answer is “by car,” it asks where they park – in a metered or non-metered parking space, and how much they pay for parking., Questions also include why the respondent visits downtown Princeton – for shopping, entertainment or employment, and if he or she has ever left downtown Princeton for lack of finding a parking space., Wrapping up the survey, respondents can comment on the biggest challenge in terms of parking and transportation in Princeton, plus suggestions for improving the parking situation in town.
