Dinky update
May 24th 2007 10:43 am
Tuesday’s Princeton Packet has an update on Princeton University’s efforts to move the Princeton Branch’s “Dinky” station further away from downtown Princeton. The station is already more than 1/4 mile from downtown. The university wants to move it out of Princeton Borough and across the border to Princeton Township, where it would be almost 1/2 mile from downtown. (You can see a diagram of the proposal here.)
One of the primary considerations seems to be the desire to replace the Dinky with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT):
The newest concept design, Mr. Durkee added, is also meant to respond to both a proposal by NJ Transit for a bus rapid transit system that could either replace or supplement the rail service as well as the extra traffic accompanying the borough’s proposed jitney, or minibus, shuttle service.
Joe Dee, a spokesman for NJ Transit, said the proposed bus rapid transit system has not been funded for construction, but the borough, the township, Princeton’s planning officials and the university along with NJ Transit are working collaboratively to plan for the future.
In fact, providing for the local WaWa store seems to be given more more weight than the location of the train station.
Thankfully, some people are still fighting to keep the Dinky running from its present location:
The new design, at least to former borough mayor and chairman of the Planning Board’s Master Plan Subcommittee, Marvin Reed, does not address the community’s needs nor the suggestions given at the most recent planning meeting with the university.
Contending the municipalities would not “rubber stamp” any proposal, Mr. Reed hopes the university and the Princeton community can have a constructive dialogue on the future of the site.
“I don’t think we’re ready to say this is the plan that really services the community’s needs,” Mr. Reed said. “This is the community’s train station. The Wawa is a community food store not just a midnight store for people at Forbes College,” he added of the relocated convenience store.
To create an intersection of town and gown, Mr. Reed urged the university to keep the rail station as is and construct its arts facilities and retail establishments surrounding it.
Dinky rider and Borough Councilman Andrew Koontz agreed.
“With some creative planning and some thoughtful planning, we can create an arts neighborhood where transit is well integrated with what the university is trying to do,” Mr. Koontz said.
“This is planning very much in vogue in the 1960s. … I think that’s a methodology of planning that has very much gone out of fashion and for good reason,” the councilman added of the university’s current concept design.
Joe Versaggi responded on 24 May 2007 at 12:53 pm #
An we have this, written several years ago by yours truly
http://www.nj-arp.org/brt_pos.html
laxpop responded on 25 May 2007 at 11:12 am #
Princeton Shuttle rider (and Princeton Borough councilman ) Andy Koontz, sent an email to Dinky riders alerting them to the troublesome and unhelpful forthcoming Dinky schedule. Bear with me, as I put this in context:
Issue # 1: The current 5:57 a.m. Dinky meets express Train #3914 (a 15-minute wait for 6:17 a.m. NEC departure). The 5:57 a.m. Dinky also conceivably connects to express train 3916 (a 32-minute wait for 6:34 a.m. NEC departure). This Dinky departure time is the result of a schedule adjustment some months ago which accelerated a formerly superb Dinky departure at 6:10 a.m. NJT did this to accommodate trains arriving at Princeton Junction from Newark and New York.
Issue # 2: The current 6:30 a.m. Dinky, which until April 2007 departed at 6:36 a.m., connects to express train 3920 (a 14-minute wait for NEC departure at 6:49 a.m.)
The new schedules effective June 3 say, “Princeton Shuttle times will be adjusted in the morning to provide a better connection to Train 3914 and add a connection to Train 3916.
In fact, the new schedule changes the current 5:57 a.m Dinky departure by only two minutes to 5:59 a.m. That’s hardly a change to tout as “a better connection to train 3914.” And it doesn’t resolve in a substantial way Issue #1. The new schedule DOES return to us a previous connection to train 3916 — the new 6:23 a.m. Dinky departure, but a significant cost — the elimination of current 6:30 a.m Dinky departure. So in addressing Issue #1, NJT has fouled up Issue #2 and actually REMOVED a connection to an NEC rush-hour express train.
We would never have had these problems and subsequent adjustments if NJT had left the 2004 and 2005 schedules alone. Back then we had a Dinky departure at roughly 6:10 a.m. to connect with express trains 3914 and 3916. And we had a very nice departure at 6:36 a.m. to connect with express train 3920. With tongue in cheek, I must add that at this rate, NJT will soon announce the full-funding of a demonstration capital project for “Bus Rapid Transit” to “supplement” Dinky service and provide “improved connections.” Just you wait and see.
But the new schedule also has a glaring typographical error. It shows a Dinky departure from Princeton Borough at 6:30 a.m. connecting with local train 3818. But you obviously cannot have a departure at both 6:23 and 6:30. NJT has now succeeded in fouling up the Dinky schedule in both the April timetable and the new June timetable.
Andy Koontz says anyone wishing to express their views regarding the schedule change may write to:
Jamika Berryman
NJ Transit
One Penn Plaza East
Newark, NJ 07105-2246
John 76 responded on 25 May 2007 at 8:40 pm #
A few days ago “The [Trenton] Times” reported Princeton wants the station’s land for an arts center and better access to a parking garage. Also Princeton owns the station. Finally the report indicated that NJT is not particularly opposed to Princeton’s plan.
Right now Princeton station is about 2000 feet down University Place from Nassau Street. “The Times” reports Princeton wants to move the station another 460 feet down the track. However the “Princeton Packet’s” map indicates the walking distance will be twice that. I doubt Princeton residents will be willing to walk from their homes to Nassau Street and then more than half a mile to get to the station.
But with Princeton’s wealth and power plus ownership of the land how can anyone oppose them?