Princeton Township Committee 1999

1999 VOTERS GUIDE

NON-PARTISAN ELECTION INFORMATION

Vote Tuesday, November 2, 1999

CANDIDATES FOR PRINCETON TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE

The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area is a nonpartisan, non-profit volunteer organization which works to promote active, informed participation of all citizens in their government. The League provide nonpartisan information on public issues, and takes action on issues after member study and consensus. In publishing this material, the League neither endorses nor rejects the views of any candidate quoted.

All candidate information in this guide was compiled from candidates' responses to questionnaires. Replies are printed in the candidates' own words, without editing or verification. Due to space limitation, the candidates were given a word limit for replies. Words in excess of the limit are deleted and indicated by a bullet (O). Incumbents are indicated by an asterisk (*).

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The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area submitted the following three questions to all candidates for Princeton Township Committee:

1. What effect will the Hightstown, Hillsborough, and Millstone Bypasses and NJ92 have on Princeton Township?

2. How can you expedite the process of building or expanding the public library?

3. What do you propose to reduce speeding, ensure pedestrian safety, and relieve traffic congestion within Princeton Township?

CANDIDATES FOR PRINCETON TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE

DOROTHY BEDFORD

Party: Republican

Age: 43

Address: 492 Prospect Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08540

Education: M.B.A., Harvard 1982; A.B., Princeton 1978

Occupation: Exec. Dir., Excellence in Public Service Series

Significant Community Activities: Former Executive Director, 250th Anniversary of Princeton University; Leader, Girl Scout Troop 1812 (Riverside School)

Answers:

1. The Millstone Bypass claims to improve traffic flow on Route 1, and improve quality of life in West Windsor. Improving Route 1 promotes safety, but Princeton Township should not pay for the impact of West Windsor's growth with a poor design of the Millstone Bypass. The real danger of the Millstone Bypass is that the Hightstown and Hillsborough Bypasses create fearsome momentum for a central New Jersey road artery, which would likely traverse Princeton in some fashion. These are four-lane highways engineered virtually to interstate standards, which do route traffic away from their respective town centers. In contrast, these "bypasses" direct more traffic towards central areas of Princeton Township. The fight to downscale the Millstone Bypass to a parkway-type road is essential to defending Princeton's historic and residential nature and overall well-being in the long run. In contrast, the construction of S92 opens the door for that central New Jersey artery to be imagined outside of Princeton. I support S92.

2. Princeton Township's elected leaders should lead the search for developers willing to discuss redevelopment of the Spring Street Corridor, including the Princeton Public Library. The imaginative and cost effective vision for that neighborhood presented by Tony Nelessen's students last spring at Township Hall was inspirational. Township residents' paying for parking to use a facility whose costs are borne mostly by them is unacceptable.

3. Reducing speeding is a matter of enforcing the laws on the books. Ensuring pedestrian and bicycle safety on thoroughfares requires clearly defined, well- marked rights of way to separate walkers and bikers from the main traffic flow. Traffic congestion in Princeton Township is now a regional matter, and must be addressed as such, with help from DOT and regional planning authorities.

WILLIAM L. ENSLIN

Party: Democratic

Age: 64

Address:45 Herrontown Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540

Education: Univ. of Penna. ( Wharton ) BSinEcon, Rutgers Univ. - MeD,EdD.

Occupation: Rowan University Professor of Organ. Development & Management Community Experience: Former Chair and Vice Chair, Regional Planning Board of Princeton, ten years.

Answers:

1. The Hillsborough, Hightstown and Millstone Bypasses all mean more traffic in Princeton, unless they are made part of a regional system, connected by Route 92 well north of Princeton, to ensure that traffic also bypasses Princeton. Disconnected DOT projects must be stopped. When I was chair of the Regional Planning Board of Princeton, I was one of the founders of a Central Jersey Traffic Management organization, which provides a forum for regional traffic planning. I helped move the Millstone Bypass project off the DOT fast track and have been demanding that DOT meet stricter environmental standards for this project and stop it at Route 1. Preserving Route 206 and Harrison Street as two-lane residential roads must have the highest priority.

2. A modern, accessible downtown Library is essential to the Princeton community. As a member of the Master Plan Committee, I supported our recommendation that the Library expedite the project through new construction as an alternative to renovation. Preliminary cost and time estimates support this approach. I have been strongly advocating building additional parking downtown and will not vote for any project that does not have sufficient parking. Township residents must be given easy and free access to the Library.

3. Traffic planning combined with intelligent land use and open space preservation are keys to reducing traffic congestion. Management of existing traffic may be improved through reduced speed limits, truck bans on local roads, reduced weight limits and pedestrian right-of-way signage. DOT attempts to widen our roads for through traffic must be stopped. Also, traffic calming approaches need to be tested. With the Planning Board, I helped pressure state and federal officials to get trucks off Route 206, which encouraged the Governor to issue the large truck ban.

STEVEN B. FRAKT*

Party: Democrat*

Age: 54

Address: 561 Lake Dr. Princeton, NJ 08540

Education: Rutgers University. B.A., M.A., M.Phil. (Master of Philosophy)

Occupation: Lecturer in Public and International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University

Community Activities: Member of Princeton Township Committee since 1994; Former Board Member of Princeton Adult School; Former Board Chairman of U-NOW Day Nursery

Answers:

1.In my six years on Township Committee, I have worked hard to protect Princeton Township from the adverse consequences of regional road projects that simply transfer traffic bottlenecks from other locations into the Princetons. A fully complete Route 92 is absolutely essential to alleviate the traffic that cuts through Princeton between routes 206, 27, 1 and the Turnpike. Without Route 92, the Millstone Bypass, the Hightstown Bypass and the Hillsborough Bypass will surely threaten daily traffic gridlock in Princeton.

2.I have voted to fund the library expansion and recognize that the downtown location is the most appropriate, but only if the parking requirements for Township (and many Borough) residents are adequately addressed. No one disputes that it is important that the library be accessible. Now that we have engaged an architect to develop specific building plans, I am confident that the parking issues will be resolved in a timely manner through the ongoing discussions between Township Committee and Borough Council.

3.I and my colleagues on Township Committee have vigorously attacked traffic issues. We have banned trucks on Township roads, reduced speed limits, increased police traffic patrols, and persuaded the state to improve Route 206 by banning large trucks. reducing the speed limit and instituting State Police inspections of unsafe trucks. We have also reversed years of neglect of our roads by authorizing a record number of improvement projects. In each project, we have worked closely with residents to design improvements that are pedestrian friendly and enhance the appearance and quality of their neighborhoods.

BARBARA L. RUSSO

Party: Republican

Address: 96 Fleming Way, Princeton, NJ 08540

Education: 2 years of college

Occupation: Certified Financial Planner, Certified Divorce Planner and Certified Divorce Mediator Community Activities: A member of the Board of Trustees of Newgrange school; Past member of the Board of Trustees for Homefront; Past member of the Board of Trustees for the Washington Oaks Association.

Answers:

1. I believe that the Millstone Bypass will increase the amount of traffic coming into Princeton Township. It will also delay emergency vehicles coming from West Windsor Township to Princeton. It is an unnecessary road being built in order to reduce traffic on Washington Road through West Windsor Township. West Windsor has allowed its Township to become overbuilt. Every house built brings with it one, two, or three additional cars. Most of these residents take Washington Road into Princeton. The DOT wants to eliminate traffic lights on Rt. 1 by building the Millstone Bypass. This could be done by recessing Rt. 1 under Washington Road or vice versa. The Bypass will be built too close to the canal which could adversely effect the water and the tranquility of this area. The Bypass will also affect the Millstone River in a negative way. I do not have enough information at this time to know how the Hightstown or Hillsborough Bypasses or NJ92 will effect Princeton Township.

2. The Borough and the Township will have to work together to make sure that there will be adequate parking for everyone when the library is expanded or rebuilt. I don't like the idea of another parking garage in Princeton. If we lose the existing open parking lot, we lose more open space and replace it with a big solid, unattractive building. Perhaps there is a better place for the library that will satisfy all the requirements.

3. Our roads are overcrowded and our traffic police are overburdened. We need to reduce speed limits wherever we can, and enforce them. By doing this we would ensure that both pedestrians and cars would be safer.