Dinky, what shall become of thee?

On more than one occasion I have had the misfortune of taking a train from the airport in Newark to Princeton Junction only to find that the incoming Dinky wouldn't be leaving for another hour. But I may one day reminisce about this unpredictable service, as proposals have been made to replace the train with a shuttle bus instead.

This was all prompted by the proposed move of the Dinky station to make way for the arts portion of the Arts and Transit Neighborhood. Apparently this did not sit so well with many Princeton residents.

But now, a proposal has been put forth to do away with the Dinky altogether. In its stead, a shuttle bus would run from Princeton Junction to Princeton along what is currently the Dinky's path. The bus would continue to so-called downtown Princeton.

An opinion piece by Chip Crider GS '79, who runs a local business, severely criticizes the proposed plan, noting that:

This [proposal] was touted as a solution to the Dinky station location stalemate elicited by the university's Arts Campus proposal. Well, who caused the stalemate? It was certainly not the university; it was those who insisted on not moving the Dinky station an inch ... And now the same people want to eliminate the Dinky.

We haven't yet heard the opinions students, faculty and University staff — who will be affected just as much by these plans. What do you think?

By Aaron Hosios, editor for Blogs