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Critique of PU A&T Site Plan Alain L. Kornhauser, PhD
11/29/2012
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The Arts Campus Can be built without Once Again
Moving the Dinky
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Lewis Center for the Arts
At-grade Access 2 Lot 7
Below-grade Access 2 Lot 7
Pedestrian Access
• Build all of Arts Campus• Access Lot 7• Create Pedestrian Access• Reduce Traffic Conflicts
A&TP3
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Lewis Center for the Arts
At-grade Access 2 Lot 7
Below-grade Access 2 Lot 7
Pedestrian Access
• Build all of Arts Campus• Access Lot 7• Create Pedestrian Access• Reduce Traffic Conflicts
Below-grade access: Very feasible because Garage’s 8’2”Ceiling Constraint
South Entrance
North Entrance
A&TP3
C-400
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Lewis Center for the Arts
At-grade Access 2 Lot 7
Below-grade Access 2 Lot 7
Pedestrian Access
• Build all of Arts Campus• Access Lot 7• Create Pedestrian Access• Reduce Traffic Conflicts
At-grade access: Very feasible because Pedestrian & Vehicular grade Xings of Dinky currently exist @ Princeton Jct. & Faculty Rd.
@ Princeton Jct.
@ Faculty Rd.
A&TP3
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According to NJ Transit*:
AlsoGrade Crossings aren’t Rare
*NJT has stated in response to an OPRA request that it has no documentation about any request by the University for a grade crossing at this location
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As Proposed
A&TP1
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As Proposed:Without Moving the DinkyAccess at-grade North of Lot 7
A&TP1
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As Proposed:Without Moving the DinkyAccess under Tracks South of Lot 7
A&TP1
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PU can even extend Blair Walk without touching the Dinky
Blair Walk: Beatrix Farrand’s Magnolias - Existing Blair Walk: Magnolia Extension – without touching the Dinky
A&TP47 A&TP48
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is in Violation of an Easement
Major Issue:
A Substantial Portion of the Site Plan (3.5 acres)
Restricting Development to “Public Transportation Purposes”
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The Land (with Restricted Development Rights)
Purchased from NJT by PU in 1984Excerpts from the “1984 “Sales Agreement”
1.584 acres in Borough; 1.98 acres in Township*
*’85 Deed
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Why the University agreed to the Easement
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Planning the Move Contemplated by the 1984 Contract (DP 2/18/88)
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Google Earth with Property Boundaries
1.584 acres in Borough; 1.98 acres in Township* * ‘85 Deed
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Google Earth with Property Boundaries
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Project Site w Easement Boundary
C-101
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As Proposed Construction
within easement for public transportation
Question:Doesn’t the Planning Board have the obligation to not violate legitimate easements?(A: easements are rights of individuals, zonings are rights of communities; both need to be enforces by Planning Boards)
A&TP1
C-205
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Proposes “Elements”
Major Issue:
A Substantial Portion of the Site Plan
on Lands Not Owned by the Applicant
Google Earth with Property Boundaries 21
Google Earth with Borough Property Boundaries Highlighted 22
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Google Earth & Site Plan with Borough Property Boundaries Highlighted A&TP1
So…the Site Plan includes “elements” on land(s) NOT owned by the University.
• Princeton Borough• Others?
So…the Site Plan includes “elements” on land(s) NOT owned by the University.
• Princeton Borough• Others?
Question: Are these other Owner(s) co-applicants?
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Traffic Impacts
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The Roundabout
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Even with the grading, Roundabout is on an undesirable slope
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Many Conflicts in Tight Traffic Circle
• Bicycle Conflicts• Vehicle Conflicts• Pedestrian Conflicts• This is a Mess
A&TP21
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A Better Circulation Plan…
• Make the whole McCarter Block a “Roundabout”– Conflicts are distributed to
locations each having long parallel one-way lanes
– Northbound flows are oriented toward their natural direction up University Place
– Southbound flows are organized down Alexander St.
– More angled parking provided along Univ. Place
A&TP1
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University Place Currently Serves the Master Plan Adequately
• Community Favors: Dinky over BRT
• Master Plan says nothing about a “Wawa” (which creates most of the current problems)
• Pedestrian crossing, traffic flow and safety are improved with ONE- WAY around McCarter
A&TP10
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What about the other four (4) Pedestrian Crossings?
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Traffic Analysis Insufficiently Accurate to Measure Delay to 0.3 Seconds!
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Hypothetical & Unsubstantiated
Base on Unsubstantiated Lot 7 Route Choice
Based on Unsubstantiated “Total” Build-out
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Traffic Study Does NOT allow the Universityto make these estimates
• Traffic study did NOT follow cars from Alexander to/from Elm Drive that would allow them to make these claims.
• Numbers are “pulled out of the air”!
• Access Road Transfers Internal VMT to Alexander St.
• Places a substantial amount of traffic on the Access Road next to the “Transit Plaza”
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The Proposed Transit Plaza
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This is our Station and our Community’s Gateway
In Pristine Original Historic Form & Function!!
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Proposed Transit Plaza is “Shoe Horned” “Down the Hill”
• Safety (Traffic & Pedestrian Conflicts) worse than now exists on Univ. Place
• “Backing out” of “Wawa” parking now on both sides of 2-way lane
• Permit Parking farther away
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Conflicts in “Shoe Horned” Transit Plaza
• Vehicle Conflicts• Pedestrian Conflicts• This is Fundamentally
Unsafe
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Other Safety Issues
• Backing into 2-way Traffic is Unsafe
• Kiss&Ride Now Requires Pedestrian Xings
• Parked Buses Create Turn Visibility Issues
• This is a Mess
A&TP95
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Short Term & Metered Parking a Substantially Longer Walk
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ADA “Platform” Accessibility
• Proposed Range: 305’ - 365 ’
– Not 180’ - 365 ’
• Comparable to Existing
Proposed Plan – Range 305’ – 365’
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This is our Station and our Community’s Gateway
In Pristine Original Historic Form & Function!!
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I Urge the Planning Board to…
• Request that Nassau Hall voluntarily withdraw its Site Plan and, post-haste, resubmit a Site Plan that does not move the Dinky terminus
• Then, praise for the Arts Campus will not be plagued by the negative safety, mobility, environmental and historic preservation consequences of the dislocation of the station.
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Thank You