There is still no word from New Jersey Transit when plans for building a new parking garage at the Princeton Junction train station will move forward.
According to Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh, when the new administration took over this year, New Jersey Transit officials told the township they wanted to revaluate the plan.
“From a management perspective, their priority was the state budget,” Hsueh said. “I’m hoping they can do it sooner, but they have to deal with the budget issues before they move anything forward.”
The good news for commuters in the area is that New Jersey Transit has identified the Princeton Junction train station as one of their top three priorities, said Hsueh. “They are required by the governor to look for additional revenues and income, one of which was the 20 percent fair hike,” Hsueh explained. “Now, they’re looking into where they can get more money, and the Princeton Junction train station is one of them.”
Hsueh also said West Windsor and New Jersey Transit officials are in agreement on the floor plans for the garage and that West Windsor will be one of the entities submitting proposals when the request for proposals (RFPs) are sent out for the project.
In April, the West Windsor Township Council submitted a joint proposal with the West Windsor Parking Authority to New Jersey Transit that would designate the parking authority as the developer of the new parking garage at the train station.
The move would have allowed the township to have a higher level of control over the project. Although developing the projected 2,200-space garage would give the township a greater ability to oversee the project, West Windsor cannot reserve any parking spaces specifically for township residents in the garage.In prior talks withe New Jersey Transit, township officials have also encouraged New Jersey Transit to include the retail space in the design.
Hsueh said New Jersey Transit has advised the township to submit a proposal when it sends out the RFPs. “In other words, we have to bid along with the private developers. I was given assurance that West Windsor will be a major player.”
An updated timeline from New Jersey Transit has yet to be announced for the process.
A New Jersey Transit spokesman said he had no information on the parking garage.
But West Windsor officials are not the only ones looking forward to development of a garage at the busy train station. Senator Tom Goodwin, of District 14, has sent a letter to New Jersey Transit executive director James Weinstein, asking for approval of the creation of the parking garage.
“This train station is a vital commuting point for my constituents not only in West Windsor, but for those from Plainsboro, Cranbury, and other municipalities in the State’s 14th legislative District,” Goodwin wrote in the letter.
More than 7,000 commuters use the Princeton Junction train station daily. Currently, commuters on the waiting list to obtain a parking spot at the train station wait for up to seven years.
“The case for the new parking garage is further supported by the fact that the Princeton Junction train station is located within the boundaries of West Windsor’s approved redevelopment plan,” Goodwin said. “The location of the garage is ideal since it would not only be close to the train tracks, but it would be situated near a possible new transit village setting. At a time when we should be encouraging the use of mass transit and promoting growth and job creation, it appears obvious that moving forward on a new parking garage at the Princeton Junction train station is a win for everyone.”
