“The only question that was in front of [the Council] was whether they would agree to the request from New Jersey Transit to be able to abandon the easement sooner rather than later,” Durkee said.
Township Mayor Chad Goerner noted the limited scope of the victory, too, and voiced his support for the proposal at Thursday’s meeting. “The final vote certainly made sense in light of the facts before the Council,” he said in an email.
Those who spoke in opposition to New Jersey Transit’s proposal, however, placed the vote in a much broader context, viewing it as a setback in the fight to keep the Dinky in its current location. Occupy Princeton leader and student Joshua Shulman ’13 called the vote “a sad day for democracy and for Princeton University,” further claiming that “[University administration] is acting as if it owns the students, alumni, community members and other taxpayers, instead of the other way around.”
Operations research and financial engineer professor Alain Kornhauser also voiced his opposition to the University’s plans to move the Dinky, citing the train’s historical connection to the campus. Durkee responded to Kornhauser’s arguments by claiming that the University’s motives to move the station have been clear for a long time.
“Fundamentally, there are two reasons to relocate the Dinky,” he said. “One is to create access from Alexander [Street] into [the New South] parking garage ... and two, there is also a very strong feeling that you want this whole [Arts and Transit Neighborhood] to be integrated, and you just can’t do that if you have the tracks.”
Durkee added that the proposal would save about 350 vehicle miles a day by allowing easier access to the New South garage while also providing public parking for those visiting the Arts and Transit Neighborhood in the evening.
Durkee declined to respond to Shulman’s assertions but said that ultimately the University Board of Trustees will make decisions regarding any allocation of University resources and land.
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