Overview 

BFJ has been the transportation and parking consultant for Princeton University since 1988 when we prepared a traffic impact analysis for a new garage in the Engineering Quad and assisted in its functional design. The garage, designed by Machado and Silvetti Associates, received an AIA Honor Award. More recently, we analyzed traffic impacts associated with the new Arts and Transit neighborhood on the western portion of the campus and we prepared a long-term parking and traffic circulation plan associated with the new Lake Campus located in the Township of West Windsor across from Lake Carnegie. 

Long Term Traffic and Circulation Plan 

In the 1990s BFJ prepared a traffic and circulation plan for the university to mitigate traffic impacts associated the West Campus Garage. The plan included the design of two modern roundabouts to ease congestion at critical intersections on Faculty Road and Elm Drive. These roundabouts were the first modern roundabouts built in the State of New Jersey. 

Transportation Master Plan

Between 2006 and 2008 BFJ worked with Princeton University and Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners to develop the transportation element of the 2016 Princeton Campus Plan. The transportation element addressed traffic, pedestrian and bicycle circulation, bus service, parking and truck circulation and loading. As part of this work, BFJ developed a parking model for the campus, allowing the university to monitor and forecast parking demand. This work also led to the first Transportation Demand Management (TDM) initiatives for the campus including an expansion of the bicycle infrastructure and shuttle system. 

The Master Plan received the 2008 Honor Award for Excellence in Planning presented by the Society for College and University Planning and the American Institute of Architects. 

Arts and Transit Neighborhood Plan 

Following the publication of the Master Plan, the university embarked on an effort to rezone the western portion of the campus near the Dinky train station and McCarter Theater to create the new Arts and Transit neighborhood anchored by the future Lewis Center for the Arts and a new relocated train station. BFJ provided the transportation planning support for both the rezoning effort and the site plan application for the new neighborhood. The firm was responsible for the analysis of the traffic impacts of the proposed plan and for the development of transportation mitigation measures. 

As part of this project, BFJ analyzed all access modes and assisted the design team in analyzing current access to the station and mitigating relocation impacts. This work included geo-coding rail users by access mode, assessing the impacts of various transit strategies, developing bicycle improvement plans and designing the proposed transit plaza. The adopted plan included the construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of Alexander Street and University Place – resolving one of the worst bottlenecks in Princeton – and upgrading numerous bicycle facilities in the neighborhood and improvement of local bus service. 

2026 Princeton University Campus Plan 

Starting in 2016 BFJ worked with the Urban Strategies group on the plan for the campus development through 2026 and beyond. The goal was to create a flexible, revisable framework to guide the development of the campus and accommodate a significant increase of Princeton’s undergraduate student body. This very ambitious plan laid the foundation of the campus expansion into the Township of West Windsor across from Lake Carnegie – the creation of Lake Campus. BFJ’s role was to assist the team in developing the circulation element of the new campus, projecting future parking demands and preparing a comprehensive traffic impact study submitted to the municipality as part of the approval process. BFJ also developed pedestrian and bicycle forecasts for a planned pedestrian/bicycle bridge over Lake Carnegie. 

The 2026 Campus Plan also led to the planning and development of the Environmental Studies and School of Engineering and Applied Science buildings, a new soccer stadium and practice field and a 1,500-space parking garage on East Campus. BFJ worked with the SOM and Ennead teams on these initiatives to design the circulation system and undertake the necessary transportation impact studies to obtain the approvals from the municipality of Princeton. 

Princeton Forrestal Campus Transportation Studies 

The Princeton Forrestal Center located in the Township of Plainsboro includes a large office park, several residential developments, the Princeton Forrestal Village and several academic and research buildings, including the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. BFJ undertook a major TDM study for the Forrestal Center with the goal to reduce overall traffic and parking loads and increase mobility options for the employees in the center. A key concern of the companies located in the Forrestal Center was related to their ability to attract the younger, educated work force to work in the Forrestal Center. This assignment included focus group meetings with the major employers, user surveys and the creation of TDM strategies tailored to the Forrestal Center. 

BFJ also undertook a major traffic impact study of the Forrestal Campus expansion to assist the University in gaining approval for a 20-year General Development Plan. This study included the feasibility and impact analysis of a major new roadway connection in the center of the corporate campus.