State assembly considers extending Dinky rail line

The "Dinky" rail line may be extended as part of an effort to improve mass transit and control increasing traffic in Mercer County.

A bill currently before the New Jersey State Assembly would authorize a study to examine the feasibility of bringing the Dinky to other areas of Princeton and surrounding towns. The bill is co-sponsored by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton) and Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing).

"Because of the population shift into the suburbs, it's important to explore ways to expand mass transit," Gusciora said. "The study will look at proposals to extend [the Dinky] eastward to West Windsor, and westward to Nassau Street."

Introduced last Thursday, the bill calls for $250,000 to examine the cost of these additions and to determine whether potential ridership would make them cost-effective.

The money for the study would come from the state transportation trust fund, and it would be administered by the New Jersey Transit Corp., the current operator of the Dinky.

A proponent of mass transit, Coleman explained the need for the study. "It is necessary because of the job and population growth in our area. The extension would primarily serve commuters. The issue is how can we best move people between homes to jobs without creating more congestion and pollution."

Economic growth in the Princeton area, namely in the form of the area's many office and research parks, has resulted in increased traffic congestion. This problem is evident on many of the roads that surround the University campus.

"You can only add so many lanes to the roads. Short of making Route 1 a six lane highway, transit is the best way to improve the situation," Gusciora said. "You go to Italy, France, anywhere in Europe and they have extended their train service so that you can hop on a train and get to the workplace. In New Jersey, you're stranded without a car."

Potential station sites to be examined in the study include Nassau Street, the towns of West Windsor and Plainsboro and the Carnegie Center development.

Princeton Borough Mayor Marvin Reed, however, explained the difficulty in extending a rail system like the Dinky. He said development in the surrounding communities is too dispersed to allow for rail service.

"The Central New Jersey Forum [a group of local municipalities] already commissioned a study by New Jersey Transit. It came back showing that there would not be enough volume to support an extension of the Dinky," Reed said. He added that the study was published only three months ago.

"It would be wonderful, but I'm skeptical. It's an enormous capital expense, and there aren't the population centers to generate enough passengers who can walk to the stations," Reed said.

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"Unless there are zoning changes to mandate higher density land use around the stations, it's not going to pass the tests for New Jersey Transit approval and federal funding," he added.

Coleman emphasized that any extension will occur only if the study demonstrates a clear need for more public transit in the Princeton area.

Currently, the Dinky runs from its terminus near Spelman Hall on campus to Princeton Junction, where it connects with the major Northeast Corridor line. During weekdays, the trains leave every 20 to 30 minutes. Many commuters use it to reach jobs in the Philadelphia, Trenton and New York areas.