Witherspoon Street Roadway Improvement Project

Historic Witherspoon Street is located within Princeton’s Central Business District (CBD) and is considered the municipal “Main Street” of Princeton. Last improved in the prior century, the roadway corridor focused on vehicle use and parking; sidewalks were narrow and street trees were limited. Improvements were needed to reimagine the street as a downtown main street. Princeton’s community vision was to create a vibrant pedestrian environment while still accommodating business patrons and operations. This project was divided in three phases, extending from Nassau Street (Route 27) to Green Street in Phase I and Green Street to Leigh Avenue in Phase II, and Leigh Avenue to Valley Road in Phase III to improve the corridor. Each phase involved extensive community engagement with Princeton Governing Body, Princeton Engineering Department, Princeton Public Works, Princeton Planning Dept., Princeton Historic Preservation Commission, Pedestrian & Bike Advisory Committee, Princeton Shade Tree Commission, Princeton Merchants Association & Residents, Princeton University and permitting agencies like NJDEP, NJDOT, SHPO, MCSCD.

From Nassau Street to Spring Street, the new and improved roadway converted a deteriorated two-lane, vehicle-centric roadway for through traffic with parallel parking on both sides to a seamless and flexible outdoor public gathering place that is “Walkable” and “Pedestrian Friendly.” Design elements were integrated to enhance the traffic calming and economic vitality of the CBD with wider sidewalks for shopping, dining, and gathering.

North of Spring Street to Leigh Avenue, the original two-way traffic pattern is maintained and curb extensions, wider sidewalks and an exclusive pedestrian traffic signal phase at Paul Robeson Place further enhance pedestrian safety.

Throughout the three phases of roadway improvements, to calm traffic, a reduced speed limit of 20 MPH posted speed limit, a mid-block raised crosswalk, several raised crosswalks, and curb extensions are designed and installed. The improved corridor uses sustainable design principles to minimize the project’s environmental footprint and address storm surge such as additional stormwater storage and installation of urban tolerant trees and landscaping in a completely built urban environment.