Dinky Shuttle Service at Existing Princeton Location Ends Today

The temporary train station on Alexander St. will be open until the fall of 2014.
The temporary train station on Alexander St. will be open until the fall of 2014.

The shortest branch of New Jersey Transit’s the Northeast Corridor line is about to get shorter as part of Princeton University’s arts and transit project. Today is the last day train passengers will be able to ride the Dinky shuttle from the current station at University Place.

The train will not run Saturday and Sunday, and instead will be replaced with a bus. Sarting Monday, Aug. 26, passengers who want to ride the Dinky will have to catch it from a temporary station on Alexander Street that is located more than 1,200 feet south of the existing station. The temporary station will be used for a year or possibly more. Commuters can also catch a bus from the bus stop near the old station and take the bus all the way to Princeton Junction.

A new metered and permit parking lot will open at  a new location on Alexander Street starting Monday. The existing parking lot will be closed except for short-term Wawa customer parking at the north end of the lot, with access via University Place. The temporary train platform will be located at the southeast corner of the new Princeton Station parking lot. Bus stops will be located along Alexander Street adjacent to the station.

Dinky supporters fear the temporary station and bus service will lead to the demise of the Dinky, with people becoming so used to taking a bus or driving to Princeton Junction for a year that they will no longer take the Dinky when the new permanent station is open.

The new bus service called TigerPaWW, run by the university, will be operated by First Transit. The bus will operate seven days a week and will meet all incoming trains to Princeton Junction in both directions (from New York and from Trenton/Philadelphia) during the Dinky’s normal hours of operation. You can ride the bus by purchasing an NJ Transit ticket. According to the bus schedule, each trip between University Place and Princeton Junction will take 11 minutes.

– When traveling from Princeton to Princeton Junction, the TigerPaWW will run between the University Place bus stop (at the former Princeton Station) and Princeton Junction.

– When traveling from Princeton Junction to Princeton, the TigerPaWW will run from Princeton Junction to the Alexander Street bus stop at the new, temporary Princeton Station and the University Place bus stop (at the former Princeton Station).

– Through Sunday, Aug. 25, NJ TRANSIT bus routes (605, 606, 655) will continue to stop at the existing Princeton Station bus stop on University Place.

– As of Monday, Aug. 26, NJ TRANSIT bus routes (605, 606, 655) will stop at temporary bus stops on Alexander Street adjacent to the new, temporary Princeton Station.

– On Monday, Aug. 26, the taxi stand will be relocated to the south end of the new meter and permit Princeton Station parking lot.

– On Monday, Aug. 26, the new meter and permit Princeton Station parking lot will open in its new location south on Alexander Street. As of Monday, Aug. 26, only the north section of the existing lot will remain open for short-term Wawa customer parking.

Bike racks will be provided at the temporary Princeton Station, as well as at the University Place bus stop.

The Wawa will remain open in its current location. The Wawa will be relocated to its new location in fall 2014 when the new transit plaza opens.