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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