West Windsor officials are saying that New Jersey Transit has put plans for building a new parking garage at the Princeton Junction train station on the back burner — for now.
During the Township Council’s meeting on August 9, Business Administrator Robert Hary told the council that officials had hoped the plans would have been released by now, but that it appeared officials probably would not hear any news on those plans until well into 2011.
Still, Hary said, the mayor and other township officials have not forgotten about the issue and are discussing their next steps.
In June, West Windsor officials said that when the new state administration took over this year, New Jersey Transit officials told the township they wanted to revaluate the plan, specifically because the priority was the state budget.
At that point, the good news was that New Jersey Transit has identified the Princeton Junction train station as one of their top three priorities
West Windsor is expected to 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 with New Jersey Transit, township officials have also encouraged New Jersey Transit to include the retail space in the design.
However, New Jersey Transit has advised the township to submit a proposal when it sends out the RFPs, meaning the township will have to bid along with the private developers.
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.
