After public outcry, Princeton council preserves $5 Dinky lot rate and orders data collection

Princeton’s mayor and council voted on Aug. 10 to amend the proposed parking-fee ordinance and preserve the Dinky commuter-lot daily rate at $5 for now, directing staff to collect usage data over the next several months before revisiting any increase. The amendment was proposed during a busy public hearing that included multiple speakers from Save the Dinky Incorporated and other residents who warned that a $10 daily rate could reduce ridership and harm the Dinky line’s future viability.

Anita Goronyak, president of Save the Dinky Inc., told the council that "Doubling the parking rate from $5 to $10 for commuters at the Dinky Station does not improve the service" and urged the council to consider timing and public input rather than raising commuter costs in the summer when many residents are away. Councilmember David Cohen moved to adopt Councilmember Mia’s suggestion to keep the rate at $5 and to pursue targeted data collection over the next three to four months; the amendment passed on a roll-call vote with one abstention and the ordinance with the amendment was adopted.

Council members discussed possible alternatives including license-plate-based differential rates, scaling rates for long-term parking, caps on days parked, and improved enforcement to prevent long-term use by non-commuters. Staff said they lack hard data linking parking at the Dinky lot to Dinky ridership and will undertake counts and analysis to clarify how many parkers are actual commuters, how many are students or contractors, and how different pricing structures would affect ridership.