Passenger Trains > [NJ] Princeton "Dinky" in the news again

The Times of Trenton reports on the long running efforts of Princeton University to relocate the boro end of the short connecting line to Princeton Jct, where the NEC passes. The current plan would remove the Georgian style stone station and its parking lot, relocating the train access about three blocks east. This would be an inconvenience for travelers who currently walk to the station from west of NJ 27 or north of the station.

Over the years the boro station has moved from route 27 to about a quarter mile away from the center of town. Large rail assets like the upper and lower rail yards, a coal yard (for the power plant), and a second main track have been swallowed. On the PJC end, the south leg of the wye has vanished, as have the crossovers at NASSAU tower.

Some observers believe there's a "fix" on the deal between NJ Transit and the University, while others favor replacing the entire rail operation with a dedicated busway to PJC that would allow extensive access to the park-ride station from all over the area.

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2011/10/group_sues_princeton_universit.html

The real reason for the Dinky Busway is to make it a part of the proposed US-1 BRT so as to boost its miserable ridership projections.

The Times of Trenton follows up on the issue of moving the Dinky station about 460 feet.

The cast of characters may be confusing for some out of state readers. The station is on the campus of Princeton University, which would like to move the train terminus in order to build a new arts center. For that, they need to gain approval from Princeton borough, which is their local town.

Princeton borough has its own zoning and planning board. Since the 1970s, a regional planning board composed of Princeton borough and neighboring Princeton township needs to approve changes which affect traffic, land use, or development which would impact both towns. The dinky qualifies, so the regional board has to approve, then the borough board has to apply its rules.

Although NJ Transit is a state agency, the station building is owned by the university. The NEC end of the Dinky line is in West Windsor Twp which oversees land use and development around the PJC station and its parking lots


http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2011/10/princeton_borough_planning_boa.html