To the Editor:

I‘m a longtime resident. I’m in town at least three times a day. I walk in at least once and I drive in. I drink coffee here. I buy lunch here. I buy clothes here. I buy lottery tickets here. I eat dinner here. You get the point. I’ve been doing this for 25 years. I use town. I really use town. I don’t wish it was somewhere else, I use it, I know it, I like it. I’ve also led large projects, deployed computer technology globally, and developed urban planning concepts that are still in use by the state of New Jersey. I have a feel for how things work and how things don’t work.

Princeton is at its worst when solving problems with a “known” solution. Think about this time last year when we couldn’t park because of our new parking solution. We don’t seem to know how it happened, it just appeared and it didn’t work—really didn’t work.

Now we are getting ready to apply the “known” solution to the Witherspoon Street problem. I’ve never quite understood “the Witherspoon Street problem” but nonetheless, we have a solution. The “known” solution is Witherspoon Street should have no cars and be for pedestrians only. I know there are other alternates, but that’s the “known” answer.

Plans for projects as complex and strategic as changing a north south arterial road require significant planning. It’s hard. Planning during a pandemic is fraught with problems. It’s harder. You’re measuring an artificial construct. Through traffic is off. Pedestrian traffic is off. University traffic is off. Everything is off. But wait, I’m falling into a trap, the trap of defending against the “known” solution. 

I’ve seen suggestions that we follow the lead of other towns. Other towns strive to be a place like Princeton. We got here organically. It took centuries. We shouldn’t be so anxious to fix Witherspoon Street.

Have you turned left on to Nassau from Chambers?  We‘ve eliminated a north-south arterial road. Where will traffic go? Have you seen those poor devils on Witherspoon trying to unload trucks during the day? We’re a vibrant town because our shops and restaurants have in-town and further-from-town visitors. People drive to Princeton, park and walk. Princeton is already a walkable town. There is even an EPA walkability designation.

What do we really need? We need to keep parking. We need to keep Witherspoon two way. We need to make the most of what we have. The COVID configuration is empty during most weekday mornings and afternoons. It certainly needs to be prettier and cleaner. 

Let’s not make Witherspoon Street a place of privilege that can only be used if you are lucky enough to be able to walk or cycle into town. Princeton should be open to everyone. 

Importantly, we need to keep our remaining merchants whole and attract new merchants to join them. Closing the main shopping street is not in their or our best interest.

Lou Valente
Hunter Road