UPDATED: Princeton Township Approves MOU Despite Concerns Over Dinky Move

Princeton Township Committee on Monday voted 4-0 to approve a Memorandum of Understanding with Princeton University and Princeton Borough that outlines the benefits the municipalities will receive when Princeton University moves the train station.

Negotiations between the three entities happened during the spring and again in September, Council Member Bernie Miller said Monday.

The result is a way to preserve and improve a link to the northeast corridor rail line, improving Princeton transportation and bikebility and pedistrian safety and providing the university with the opportunity to build its new $300 million arts campus, he said.

Those benefits include:

• A joint task force will convene to study both transit needs and traffic issues in Princeton. 
• The university will establish a $500,000 transit trust fund, managed by community and university representatives. 
• The university will install three signalized pedestrian crossings on Nassau Street, one per year for three year up to $450,000. 
• All parties agree to extend a possible light rail easement from 50 to 65 years. 

Several residents spoke out against the MOU, including Virginai Kerr.  

“As everyone knows in this community, the sticking point over the arts transit plan was not the arts plan,” Kerr said. "People love the arts in this community and they also love the university. Unfortunately, people love the Dinky and they like to walk to the Dinky. The Dinky has been moved several times farther away from Nassau Street and the University proposed to move it once again."

Township officials said they don't want to see the Dinky moved nearly 500 feet away from the center of town, but believe the University either has a right to move the train or it would be too expensive to prove otherwise.

“We were charged with coming up with what represents the best for the community,” Miller said. “We could have said ‘Ok, University we’re not going to negotiate.’ And we may have ended up with the Dinky being moved, the arts campus being built and the community getting access to the arts campus but not much else.”

Township resident Teri McIntire spoke in support of the MOU and said she is the voice for many residents whose schedules simply do not allow them to attend municipal meetings.  

"We think this is a terrific project and we think that what the univesity does for the community is pheonomenal" McIntire said.

Council member Liz Lempert excused herself from the discussion and vote because her husband works for Princeton University.