Plainsboro University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro

On the Move
Associated with the Middlesex County Improvement Authority Fall 2012• Volume 21, No. 2
Plainsboro University Medical Center of Princeton at
Plainsboro Opens Its Doors
Board of Directors
Ronald P. Hutchinson
CHAIRMAN
Broadrock Renewable
Jack Molenaar
VICE CHAIRMAN
Rutgers University
Granville Brady
TREASURER
Dr. Granville Y. Brady, AuD
George Ververides
SECRETARY
Middlesex County Department of Planning
Wendy Bruzzese
Firmenich, Inc.
Peter Cantu
Township of Plainsboro
Tab Chukunta
St. Peter’s University
Hospital
Edward Cohen
EAC Associates
Jeremy ColangeloBryan
NJ TRANSIT
Todd Edelman
Forsgate Country Club
Steven Fittante
NJ TRANSIT
Alex Hollywood
M.C.R.C.C.
P
Joseph M. Lucas
Mary Kay Murphy
NJTPA
Denise Nickel
MCIA
William R. Rayser
Johnson & Johnson
John Reissner
Magyar Bank
Peter Riga
Weichert Realty
Jay Weiner
Weiner & Weiner
Erik Wong
Borough of Metuchen
Freeholder Stephen J.
Dalina
FREEHOLDER LIAISON
T
he 655 NJ TRANSIT bus that connects Princeton and Plainsboro to the new University
Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro
made its inaugural run on May 14, 2012.
vides transfer connections to NJ Transit bus route
No. 600 in Plainsboro and the No. 605 and 606 in
downtown Princeton. It also provides connections
to Middlesex County Area Transit (MCAT) Route 6
State and local officials, including Lt. Gov. Kim Guad- shuttle service to Jamesburg, as well as Suburban
agno and New Jersey Department of Transportation Transit (Coach USA) service that operates along
Commissioner James Simpson, were on hand to Route 27 in Princeton.
celebrate the start of the new bus line, “The Health- “This new bus route provides an important eastLine,” the first for NJ Transit since 2005. Officials west transit connection that will help offer relief
made the maiden trip from Witherspoon Street to the along the busy Route 1,” NJDOT Commissioner
new hospital, where Plainsboro Mayor Peter Cantu James Simpson said. “By connecting residents
christened the blue bus with a bottle of champagne. with medical centers, places of employment and
Guadagno praised the project as an example of a
positive state, federal and private partnership. “The
end result (of the collaboration) is a new bus service
that will serve employees, patients and visitors of
a vital healthcare facility and other important area
destinations, while minimizing the costs to New
Jersey taxpayers,” she said.
The new bus line costs $1.50 each way (65 cents for
a transfer) or $48 for a monthly pass. The bus stops
at the Princeton Shopping Center, Palmer Square,
Dinky train station, University Medical Center of
Princeton at Plainsboro and Scotts Corner Road at
Ravens Crest Drive in Plansboro. The 655 line pro-
shopping destinations, NJ Transit is making it
easier and more convenient for people to conduct
life’s daily business.”
Funding for the new bus route is being provided
through a public-private partnership. NJ Transit is
providing the vehicles and operating the service
and has received federal funding in the form of
grants through the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. Princeton HealthCare
Systems, Princeton University, Middlesex County
and the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association are also providing funding.
Keep Middlesex Moving, Inc.
100 Bayard St., 2nd Floor
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
732-745-4465 F 732-745-7482
kmm@kmm.org • www.kmm.org
Credit: North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. This
article appeared in the May 2012 issue of In the News.
K
Walk to School on October 3
MM is excited to continue our Safe
Routes to School initiative, starting
with International Walk our Children
to School Day (iWalk) on October 3.
The first 20 schools to sign up will receive bookmarks, stickers and reflective zipper pulls while
supplies last. The iWalk event may be held any
day in October.
Walking means fewer cars in the school drop-off
zone and less air pollution. Students learn to be
smart pedestrians and get to know their neighborhoods. With a daily dose of exercise, kids arrive
at school alert and ready for class.
To encourage year ‘round walking and
bike safety, KMM offers four terrific
programs:
• Walking School Buses
• Street Crossing Safety
• Bike Rodeos
• Golden Sneaker Award
Contact SRTS Coordinator Peter
Bilton at pbilton@kmm.org for more
information.
Open House Introduces
Safe routes to school
program
Thirty police officers, school district representatives, teachers, PTA leaders and municipal officials
learned about KMM’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
program at an Open House on August 15.
SRTS Coordinator Peter Bilton outlined plans for
the October International Walk to School Day.
He introduced the new Golden Sneaker Award, a
program that encourages children to record the
number of steps they walk each day for one week.
A lively discussion followed Bilton’s presentation as
attendees shared ideas and best practices.
For more information about SRST, contact Program
Coordinator Peter Bilton (pbilton@kmm.org).
Leave Your Car Behind! Yes. You Can!
Join hundreds of Middlesex County commuters
and millions of commuters worldwide in going Car
Free or Car Lite on September 22, 2012. From
September 16 to 22, KMM challenges you to go
Car Free or Car-Lite at least once.
Register online at kmm.org and pledge to take the
challenge. Everyone who registers will be eligible to
win a host of prizes, including tickets to Playhouse
22, gift certificates to local restaurants and much
much more.
Not sure how to go Car Free? Here are few suggestions:
• Bring a brown bag and have lunch at
the office.
• Use public transportation: train, bus or
light rail.
• Ride a bike or walk.
• Carpool or vanpool.
• Work from home.
Remember, pledging to do just one of the items
makes a difference!
Distracted Walking is an International Hazard
“Heads-up!”
Parents have admonished children to
“watch where you’re walking” for generations. Still, in the 21st century, pedestrians are more at risk than ever due to
their own bad behaviors. It’s called “distracted walking,” and it’s caused by
using electronic devices for texting, talking or listening to music while walking.
A group at Western Washington University studied cell phone users walking
through a popular square in Bellingham. They discovered that cell phone users tended to walk more slowly and had difficulty navigating. Additionally, the
study managers placed a clown on a unicycle in the space to learn just how
distracted these pedestrians were. Seventy-five percent didn’t see the clown;
51% of non-cell phone users did.
It’s not only cell phones. Text messaging
and walking are endangering teens. The
University of Birmingham discovered:
• Kids using cell phones took 20% longer to cross the
street.
• These students were 43% more likely to be hit by a car.
• Kids on cell phones looked both ways 20% fewer times.
These simple, commonsense
steps can reduce the
dangers of distracted
walking:
• Don’t walk, talk and text.
• Move to the side if you must talk
or text.
• Don’t cross the street when using
an electronic device.
• Don’t walk with headphones in
your ears.
• Watching when you are walking—
you don’t want to collide with a
clown!
New Treasurer, Board Members for KMM
Dr. Granville Y. Brady AuD. was selected KMM’s Treasurer at the Annual Meeting in May. Dr. Brady is an audiologist in private practice with offices in East
Brunswick and Clifton. He is a Professor of Audiology in the Arizona School
of Health Sciences distance learning program.
Dr. Brady joins Chairman Ron Hutchinson, Vice Chairman Jack Molenaar and
Secretary George Ververides on the Executive Committee.
New members were added to the Board at the May meeting. These are
Wendy Bruzzese of Firmenich, Edward Cohen of EAC Associates, Jay Weiner
of Weiner & Weiner, John Reissner of Magyar Bank and Todd Edelman of
Forsgate Country Club.
Jeremy Colangelo-Bryan is the new representative for NJ TRANSIT. Mary K.
Murphy, Executive Director of the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, joined the Board as a non-voting member.
Welcome to our new Board members and Treasurer.
Let’s Get Social
Are you liking us on Facebook? Following us on Twitter?
Connect with KMM online and find out what everyone is talking about.
Get the latest information on traffic conditions and bike and pedestrian
safety programs and access to all of our fantastic give-a-way programs.
To connect with KMM online, go to www.kmm.org and click the facebook
and twitter icons.
100 Bayard Street, 2nd Floor
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
KMM Staff
Movers & Shakers
The efforts of Keep Middlesex Moving are supported by the following institutions:
Borough of Carteret
Borough of Highland Park
Borough of Jamesburg
Borough of Metuchen
Borough of Milltown
Borough of South River
Borough of Spotswood
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Brunswick Square Mall
Buckler Associates
Business & Gov’t Insurance
Agency
City of New Brunswick
CME Associates
Colgate-Palmolive Company
County of Middlesex
Dr. Granville Brady
Greater Media Company
Johnson & Johnson
K. Hovnanian Companies
Middlesex County Improvement
Authority
Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce
New Brunswick Parking Authority
New Jersey Department of
Transportation
New Jersey Turnpike Authority
NJ Alliance for Action
NJ Division of Highway Traffic
Safety
NJ TRANSIT
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
Plan Smart NJ
PSE&G
QualCare Inc.
Robert Wood Johnson University
Hospital
Rutgers University
Sayreville Public Library
South Plainfield & Piscataway
Chamber of Commerce
Timothy Haahs & Associates, Inc.
Township of Cranbury
Township of East Brunswick
Township of Edison
Township of Monroe
Township of North Brunswick
Township of Piscataway
Township of Plainsboro
Township of South Brunswick
Township of Woodbridge
Verizon
Woodbridge Chamber of Commerce
United Way of Central Jersey
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
Bill Neary
Executive Director
Roberta Karpinecz
Director of Operations
Cristina C. Fowler
Marketing Administration Manager
Morteza Ansari
Program Manager
Arlene Perez Holt
Rideshare Coordinator
Peter Bilton
Safe Routes to School Coordinator
Vicki Becker
Outreach Coordinator
Lynne Cuevas
Secretary/Bookkeeper
Keep Middlesex Moving, Inc.
100 Bayard St., 2nd Floor
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
P 732-745-4465 F 732-745-7482
kmm@kmm.org • www.kmm.org