Princeton, NJ – Some more voices are speaking up in favor of New Jersey Transit’s proposal for a major expansion of the “Dinky Corridor,” the transit-dedicated line from the south edge of the Princeton University campus to the main line of the Northeast Corridor trains at Princeton Junction.

Earlier this year several Princeton residents formed a grassroots organization called Friends of the Dinky Corridor.

Now comes a statement from Sustainable Princeton, a nonprofit supported in part by the municipality, which explains to its constituency what the new transit proposal entails and why it would help move Princeton further down the sustainability path. To learn more, the Sustainable Princeton release states, “we encourage you to check out the new Friends of the Dinky Corridor website.”

SIGNUPSCRIPT

Sustainable Princeton, which has sponsored panel discussions on various environmental issues and has organized electric vehicle showcases, among other initiatives, offers this guide to the proposed changes to the Dinky corridor:

What: New Jersey Transit (NJT) conducted a transitway study for the "Dinky corridor." The Dinky corridor is the stretch of train tracks that connects Princeton Station to Princeton Junction Station. NJT created a concept-level review and proposed alternatives to improve the "quality, reliability, and frequency of service on the Princeton Branch to meet the needs of the surrounding community now and in the future." Click here to link to the complete NJTransit report.

The proposed alternative includes the following:**BULLSEYE

replacing the old heavy-rail cars with a brand-new Wi-Fi-enabled light rail (here's the complete picture of what that might look like)

a new protected bike lane

a new protected pedestrian walkway**STANDARD

rapid-transit electric buses (on a dedicated lane).

Why: To put it simply - the Dinky cars are outdated.

Benefits: There are many benefits, but here are our top three:**BULLSEYE

Upgrading the corridor supports our town's climate action plan goals. Transportation is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Princeton. Good public transit reduces emissions by reducing the trips made by cars and trucks.

Public transportation provides access to jobs, shopping, services, and entertainment for all members of our community, regardless of income.

Dedicated bike and pedestrian lanes also support our town's pursuit of becoming a Vision Zero community by providing a safer way across Route 1.

Drawbacks: “Honestly,” the press release states, “we don't see any from our perspective. Upgrading the corridor would be a huge benefit to our community.”

Final takeaway: Sustainable Princeton supports upgrading the Dinky corridor because of the numerous positive social and environmental impacts it would have.

Editor’s note: Sustainable Princeton will sponsor a webinar on “Building & Developing Sustainably,” Tuesday, December 6, at 7 p.m. Panelists will discuss how net-zero-ready and Passive House construction can help Princeton reach its climate action goals and address the housing crisis. Follow this link to register.

To receive once-a-day updates on stories of community interest, click here to subscribe to TAPinto Princeton’s free e-mail newsletter.