Mobility

Present:

The Council of Princeton Future
Robert Geddes, Director & Chair
Sheldon Sturges, Managing Director
Peter Kann, Director
Marvin Bressler, Director
Susan Hockaday, Director

Westminster Choir College
Robert Annis, Dean

Borough of Princeton
Mildred Trotman, Mayor / Margaret
Karcher, President [Only one-at-a-time was present]
Kevin Wilkes, Member of Council
Barbara Trelstad, Member of Council
Robert Bruschi, Administrator
Anton Lahnston, Chair, Traffic &
Transportation Committee
Ralph Widner, Traffic &Transportation
Committee

Princeton Senior Resource Center
Susan Hoskins, Executive Director

Princeton University
Kristin Appelget, Director, Community
& Regional Affairs

McCarter Theater
Mara Isaacs

University Medical Center at
Princeton & Plainsboro
Pam Hersh

Greater Mercer Transportation
Management Association
Sandra Brillhart, Executive Director

Princeton Public Library
Elba Bar

Welcome
Robert Geddes welcomed all to this roundtable on Mobility. This is a follow-up to the Princeton Future Forum on November 8 led by Carlos Rodriques of the Regional Plan Association. The transcript of that session is available to you. Bob said “We have been working for 8 years on plans for the community. The new public square, apartment building with shops and the garage show the positive results of what our community can do when it relates well with progressive thought. How do governments, businesses, institutions and community organizations work together? With a new administration coming to Washington, we think that it is a good time for the Boro, the Township, the institutions, the businesses and the community to think about how they relate to each other and perhaps reorganize. This is the first of 3 meetings, leading up to the next Princeton Future Forum on February14. Today, we focus on mobility and transportation. How does the town solve its problems in this field? There are concerns about environment, sustainability and social equity.

How well does our existing transportation systems work? What can we do to make them better? Bob then read from the flyer distributed with the invitation letter:

Mobility & Transportation:
- some solutions to traffic congestion & parking
- effective forms of public transportation & integrated shuttle services
- resolution of the future of the Dinky and Dinky station
- reconciling pedestrians, bicycles and vehicles

Bob asked Pam Hersh & Sandra Brillhart to bring the group up-to-date on what the nonprofit Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association is doing. She said that Princeton is unique in that many of the transportation services are not publicly funded. Most are free. One goal is to come up with a uniform fare and schedule for all. One success has been a NJ-DOT-funded RIDESHARE program and database. Another County initiative is a program to promote bicycling and walking to work. GMTMA works with entities to set up shuttle transportation services. RIDEPROVIDE is the service provider working under contract to CrossTown 62. Seniors can call and make a request one day before. Pam said that transportation for seniors has become a huge issue in the area and that RideProvide has been a boon. The hospital has recognized the importance of that: anyone can get to the hospital for no fare.

Bob suggested that what we have is a system created by ‘disjointed incrementalism’. He asked “If you were to choose a best practices model, would you describe the Cornell transportation system as a good model? Sheldon then passed around a computer with its website up www.tcatbus.com. Pam also mentioned that Chapel Hill also has a good system in place. [CAT, Capital Area Transit/Triangle Transit]. Sandra described TCAT and said that the city of Ithaca, Tompkins County and the two universities [Cornell & Ithaca] each had its own transportation system and in the late 90’s they started to combine them. They have blended over the years. Fares are interchangeable. Ridership has increased. It is very robust. Pam said that the main difference is the structure of New Jersey and its 566 municipalities. It is easier when the jurisdictions cover a wide area. Princeton University goes into 2 counties and 4 or 4 municipalities. And with CrossTown 62, if you want to go to visit a doc in Montgomery, it is a problem. Bob replied that we want to find good examples of how it can all work. He said the DVRPC has a good map of all of the current systems that exist. Sandra replied that GMTMA was the first such organization on the East Coast. It came out of MSM as a private initiative. The bulk of its funding comes from the New Jersey Department of Transportation [NJ DOT], NJ Transit and fee-for-services work. Pam pointed out that Middlesex County has done a very good job of coordinating all of its transportation services. Steven Fittante is the Director. Sandra mentioned that there are a bunch of ‘para-transportation’ services such as MercerTRADE. Kristin mentioned that GMTMA manages the Princeton University Shuttle System, now in its 5th year. 725,000 rides yr. Kim Jackson is the new director of Princeton University’s transportation services. On January 5th, PU will roll-out new biodiesel buses with Tiger Transit painted on the buses. PU will be combining routes with the Princeton Theological Seminary to go down Canal Point to the new University Office building there and on to Market Fair and on to the Seminary Housing complex at Emmons Drive and back. PU doesn’t ask for identification. It starts at the Dinky and you can get to Whole Foods for free. PU stops will dovetail with the FreeB.

Bob Bruschi pointed out that the FreeB stops are within 400 feet of every building in the Boro. Kristin suggested that Tiger Transit will get to College Rd East and Forrestal where it has 500 employees. Most people will not have to drive to work. They are really linked up. The biggest thing is funding. PU spends a lot of money. There needs to be communication and connection. “Free is the best way to do it”. There nightmare regulations if you even charge 25¢/ride. We need commitment. If it can’t work in Princeton, it can’t work anywhere. Bob Bruschi pointed out that in Ithaca, they combined the public and the private. The IAS is not yet participating. Pam said that the hospital would be interested in a Witherspoon St to Shopping Center route for the FreeB. Susan Hoskins went online and discovered that TCAT charges a flat fee of $1.50/ride for adults. $1.25 for youth and $.75 for seniors. The 2 colleges subsidize their students bus fares. Kristin mentioned that Mayor Frank Gambatese of South Brunswick has received significant Federal funding. Windrows has a population that would benefit greatly.

Sandra said that in addition to a lack of funding, there is a need for a guide to the Disjointed System. Bob Geddes mentioned that he hoped that as Princeton Future develops The Princeton Index will report on what the issues are, especially for employees: where the live, what the program is, and what the parking terminus is. Kristin mentioned that Lot 21 was the designated collector point for visitors to the University. Many of whom check out the website ahead of time. Bob suggested that people don’t check their website while they are actually driving in to town. Kristin referred to PU’s presentation to the Regional Planning Board at which it identified campus destinations: East Parking. West Parking. Also, PU’s Park & Ride Van Pooling from PA is becoming successful.

It was suggested that we need a smart card that hooks up to public transit and to our parking garages. Bob Bruschi mentioned the new ‘tap & go’ technology. [editor’s note from Google: Tap-and-go is used for transactions of up to £10. A chip in the card is energised by being passed over the reader, using low-power radio waves to send information from the card to the till. If you want to spend more than £10, a Pin is needed.]

Anton said: “You have raised 2 questions. How well does existing work? How might the new work? What is missing is that I don’t have a vision of what is possible. We don’t want to collapse the vision.” Bob said that Princeton Future has been raising the “What If?” questions about possibilities. Kristin said ”This group might get there!” She went on to say that, in an effort to speed up traffic on the route t the new hospital, PU is buying the Eden Institute property and it will apply to Mercer County & West Windsor to reverse the direction of jug handle-shaped road so that those coming down Harrison can go right to go south on Rt. One well before the Rt. One light. Pam said “There will be some other improvements there as well, perhaps an extra turn lane.” But she went on to say that the real plan, the Penn’s Neck By-Pass is unlikely to get Federal funding anytime soon. [$300,000,000]. Anton oncluded: “It seems so critical. We are just a little committee of volunteers. What is the role of the Chamber?” Barbara said that we need to make the FreeB go from 5 AM to 9 PM and asked what it would take to put 2 extensions on it…to Elm Court and to the Shopping Center. Bob asked if this was the sort of question that GMTMA could answer? Sandra said we need funding from NJ Transit and NJ DOT. Barbara asked “Do we need 2 full-time drivers, or 4 part-time? What is the exact $ amount required?” Bob Bruschi replied that Teri McIntyre is working on that and will have an answer by the 1st of the year. Susan said that the lots by the Senior Resource Center are now full all day. “We need to convince people that it is easy enough..low steps…drop-off close to entrance etc. A 400-yard walk is too far. We need schedules posted at each stop. We have just arranged for busing for the Holiday Party. It is a VERY big task!” CrossTown cost $6/roundtrip right now. Bob asked whether there should be a government system. “We serve people across the community.” Bob Bruschi said “The FreeB works.” Peggy Karcher suggested that signage be improved. Especially if we made an effort to connect public and private, there could be a little decal on each vehicle that signaled it was part of the Princeton system. Mara Isaacs affirmed:”The FreeB has enormous potential. People coming to town for dinner & theater could then park once. Park for dinner, take the FreeB to McCarter and return afterwards. Sandra said that if the frequency is 10 minutes or less you don’t need a printed schedule, people will wait. Anton said that the first step is to provide improved service for seniors. To get to Elm Court. To get to the Shopping Center.

Bob said that we should seek an update of the very good GMTMA report of a decade ago. Marvin Bressler concluded “No one at the table is in favor of disjointed incrementalism. Therefore there ought to be increasing cooperation!” Ralph Widner referred to Bob Durkee’s comments at the Mobility Table on November 8. [So, when we have the perennial conversation: “Would the University contribute more?”…This is a good example of something that the university would contribute more to. So we could talk about, not just more coordinated, but an expanded system where the university is not only a planning player, but is also a financial player. So my answer is coordination is not enough. It is helpful, but not enough.”].

Elba Barr said there is not enough information at the Public Library. They receive questions all the time.

Bob Annis said “Westminster Choir College is initiating regular service from its campus down to Rider College…Point A to Point B, 6 days/week, connecting with the malls. It ties to a strategy of delivering its curriculum. Freshmen may not have cars. One other thing we need to work on is the cooperative scheduling of community events. We need a central schedule for the community. When the High School gym has an event when we do it is a problem. It is too easy for the town to implode. We need to watch the flow of tourists, as well.” Susan Hoskins mentioned the non-profit benefit community needs this as well. Princeton Online and US 1 do some of it. Bob Annis suggested that when the Arts and Business come together it can be a wonderful thing for a community. There 400 students at the Choir College.

Bob Geddes adjourned the meeting saying thanking all for their help, inviting all to come to the public forum on February 14.

Respectfully submitted,
Sheldon Sturges

Several reflections on the subject of Mobility, the meeting, and follow-up. I am concerned that there will be too much talk and little action. There is very little reflected in the notes (which are fine -- thank you for doing this) that leads me to be optimistic about moving the mobility agenda forward with any speed. Perhaps that is my biased interpretation but it is a big concern for me. This is made more important since the University has already announced their new system that will take effect on January 5, 2009 -- announced on December 16 I believe. The system should be a real asset to the community as well as to the University. But in order to be a useful asset to the community there needs to be communication and coordination. Is that not at the heart of the PF agenda on Mobility 0. The Chamber of Commerce should be involved in all three prongs of the conversations -- Mobility, Downtown and Housing. With a new president it seems like the appropriate time to actively engage them. Of course I am especially interested in their involvement in the Mobility agenda. 0. I cannot attend the meeting on January 6 since I have a reservation to go to Washington for the swearing-in of Congressman Rush Holt. I wonder if there are others who face the same conflict? Thanks for seeking the input and for listening.— Anton

Anton Lahnston
One Elm Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
Mobile 609-306-8595
antonlahnston@aol.com