Princeton has received a $636,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s “Safe Streets to Transit” program, paving the way for improvements to a section of Terhune Road near the Princeton Shopping Center.
Terhune Road will be improved between North Harrison Street and Grover Avenue, in advance of the construction of more than 600 apartments and townhouses in the neighborhood around the shopping center.
The goal is to provide safe access to the Princeton Shopping Center, which is a public transportation hub. New Jersey Transit (NJT) bus routes 605 and 606 have bus stops at the shopping center, as well as the town’s free municipal bus service.
The improvement project will include traffic calming in the form of a raised intersection, which spans the new offset intersection of Thanet Circle and a new road into the Princeton Shopping Center off Terhune Road, officials said.
A new sidewalk will be built on the south side of Terhune Road, from the new road to Grover Avenue. A dedicated bike lane will also be installed.
On the north side of Terhune Road, an existing asphalt sidewalk will be replaced with a shared-use path, between North Harrison Street and Grover Avenue.
Pavement resurfacing and reconstruction, as well as enhanced storm water management, will be made.
Since late 2020, the Princeton Planning Board has approved several rental apartment developments, beginning with AvalonBay Communities’ 221-unit development off Thanet Circle that was approved in November 2020. Construction is under way on the development, which includes 193 apartments and 28 townhouses.
Of the 193 apartments, 11 are set aside for affordable housing. Five of the 11 units are earmarked for residents will special needs.
The Planning Board also approved developer PIRHL’s 80-unit age-restricted development, next to the AvalonBay Communities development in December 2020. All of the apartments are set aside for affordable housing.
In November 2021, the Planning Board approved a 200-unit rental apartment building at the Princeton Shopping Center. It includes 40 apartments set aside for affordable housing. It will be built in the parking lot opposite the Walgreens pharmacy.
The Planning Board also approved a 125-unit rental apartment building, to be known as The Alice, on the corner of North Harrison Street and Terhune Road in May 2022. Of the 125 apartments, 25 will be set aside for affordable housing.
The approved housing developments are intended to help Princeton meet its obligation to provide affordable housing. The town was sued by the nonprofit Fair Share Housing Center, along with other towns in New Jersey, for allegedly failing to provide its fair share of affordable housing.