Millstone Bypass in Historic Princeton

For those who seek to preserve historic environments, here's a way to win
against inappropriate highway development.

Mary Krugman
___________________________________

From: Tri-State Transportation Campaign <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Mobilizing the Region 156

In a message dated 1/12/98 3:18:10 PM EST, [log in to unmask] writes:

> TOWNS DISLIKE MILLSTONE BYPASS 
>  
>  The Princeton Regional Planning Board voted unanimously last night 
>  to reject NJ DOT’s proffered congestion study of the $54 million, 2-
>  mile Millstone Bypass around the historic entrance to Princeton from 
>  US Rt. 1.  A local citizens group, STOP, urged the board to reject the 
>  study and write a strong letter to the Delaware Valley Planning 
>  Commission, FHWA and DOT, citing added traffic that would flow 
>  from the single-occupant capacity highway construction.  The group, as 
>  well as Tri-State’s representative Janine Bauer and several members of 
>  the Planning Board (which includes Princeton Borough and Township 
>  mayors) noted that the study’s traffic figures were poorly presented, 
>  outdated and highly questionable.  The critics also said the study’s 
>  focus was too narrow, and that some of the most promising demand 
>  reduction strategies, including cash-out parking and jitney shuttles to 
>  the heavily used Princeton Junction train station, were excluded 
>  from review at the outset.  Under ISTEA, agencies must develop 
>  "congestion system management" studies before building new highway 
>  capacity (except for HOV lanes).
>  
>       Ironically, the prior application before the planning board was from 
>  behemoth employer and developer Princeton University, who requested 
>  another in a long string of parking space variances.  The Tri-State 
>  Campaign urged the Board and STOP to lobby for a Princeton 
>  University parking "cash-out" program (see MTR 155 re: IBM in 
>  Somers).  Another promising strategy ignored by DOT was extension 
>  of the Princeton RR shuttle, commonly called the "Dinky," to 
>  Plainsboro, from which 18% of the trips in the corridor emanate.  
>  			*	*	*
>  
MTR#156.  Contributing: Janine Bauer, John Kaehny, Charles Komanoff    
Editors: Jon Orcutt, Alec Merber.  
Executive Director, Janine Bauer


Tri-State Transportation Campaign
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