On Monday, Jan. 5, the University will launch its new integrated campus transit system, featuring new routes, new environmentally friendly buses and a new provider.
Other improvements will include stops with more shelters, connections to New Jersey Transit and the Princeton Borough FreeB shuttle, service to local shopping centers, an improved on-demand service and extended hours.
"The new TigerTransit service supports the goals of both the campus and sustainability plans," said Kim Jackson, director of Transportation and Parking Services.
The system is available at no charge to students, faculty, staff and visitors, with stops at academic and administrative buildings, University housing, Nassau Street, the Forrestal Campus and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), and the new building housing University offices at 701 Canal Pointe Blvd.
In particular, this system is intended to help the University achieve a goal of the Sustainability Plan adopted by the University in February: to decrease by 10 percent the number of cars commuting to campus on a daily basis by the year 2020.
"TigerTransit is one of Transportation and Parking Services' multiple Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs that offers alternative transportation options for staff and faculty who commute to and from campus," said Andrea DeRose, TDM manager.
Replacing the Orange, Green and Blue lines of the former P-Rides Campus Shuttle will be five lines, plus the on-demand service. Routes and times are available on the Transportation and Parking Services' website at www.princeton.edu/transportation or www.princeton.edu/parking. In addition, signs with all routes will be displayed at each TigerTransit stop.
Changes will include:
- The Forrestal/PPPL Line that will provide service to the Forrestal Campus as well as to Millstone Apartments.
- The West Line that will integrate the Princeton Theological Seminary route from the seminary campus to the theological housing units located off Canal Pointe Blvd. and will provide daily service to nearby shopping centers and the new building housing University offices at 701 Canal Pointe Blvd.
- An "express line" that will run from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., servicing the Graduate College, Lawrence Apartments and Hibben/Magie Apartments to academic buildings on the eastern side of campus in the morning hours and reverse stops in the evening hours.
- A Campus Circulator that will extend service to the Graduate College and Hibben/Magie Apartments from 9 p.m. until midnight.
On-demand service to campus locations and to the Princeton Junction train station after the last Dinky train to campus is available from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. seven days a week by calling (609) 258-7433.
The new buses for the transit fleet will be phased in by September 2009. A set of interim buses that run on diesel fuel will be used for the first nine months. All will be fully accessible. The new, permanent buses also will have low floors and bike racks and will run on environmentally friendly B20 biodiesel fuel.
The new service provider for the system is First Transit Inc., a firm based in Cincinnati that serves as the transit provider for a large number of colleges and universities around the country.
Matthew Brown, an employee of First Transit, will work on site as assistant manager of transportation and will be responsible for daily monitoring and oversight of the transit system.
Those with questions or comments about TigerTransit may contact Brown at mdbrown@princeton.edu. Those with questions about TDM may contact Jackson at kimj@princeton.edu.