Carolyn Jones

Princeton Bike Advocates Slam New E-Bike Law as Too Restrictive

For TAPinto Princeton – Walk Bike Princeton says the new state law creates costly barriers for e-bike riders without improving safety.

In their sustainability efforts, Princeton’s town and gown face one glaring problem

For TAPinto Princeton – Princeton astrophysicist warns of a surge in light pollution — with sky brightness tripling in just 13 years.

Hopewell neighbors work together for darker skies

For MercerMe – DarkSky Hopewell blends science and design to curb light pollution and restore the night sky

Walk Bike Princeton puts street safety under the microscope

For TAPinto Princeton – The annual Walkable Princeton analysis finds a $2,500 median for one-bedrooms and uneven shifts across the town’s major properties.

How much does a one-bedroom rental in Princeton cost? Averages up, trends all over the map

For TAPinto Princeton – The annual Walkable Princeton analysis finds a $2,500 median for one-bedrooms and uneven shifts across the town’s major properties.

Is there a better way to manage all those leaves? Some Princeton gardeners say yes

For TAPinto Princeton – Sustainable Princeton shows how Morven Museum and Updike Farmstead are modeling quieter, cleaner fall practices.

Princeton parents learn crossing guard funds exist, but posts remain empty

For TAPinto Princeton – The missing crossing guard at Harrison and Prospect is explained at a Riverside Elementary town hall, but parents still have action to take.

Princeton’s crash count rises – but what’s really behind it?

For TAPinto Princeton – Some residents point to growth and congestion; town officials and advocates aren’t so sure.

The Feds killed a tool for tracking climate disasters — but now it’s back, and it’s in Princeton

For TAPinto Princeton – Climate Central is the new host of the ‘Billion-Dollar Disaster’ database, previously managed by NOAA.

Watershed Institute sounds the alarm over Princeton-bound sludge plume in Stony Brook

For TAPinto Princeton – Officials say the plume is natural clay from bridge repairs — but conservationists warn the sediment could smother aquatic life.

Einstein says yield

For TAPinto Princeton – Witty road signs grab attention as Princeton Police find new ways to cut crashes.

When Princeton floods: what every resident should know

For TAPinto Princeton – Texas’s deadly floods are a reminder — Princeton has its own risks, from basement seepage to submerged roads.

Toxins surface in the Delaware & Raritan Canal amid rollback of federal rules to fight them

For Delaware Currents– the Trump Administration’s dilution ofPFAS regulations imperils the quality of a water source most central New Jersey consumers didn’t know they had. This article also appeared in NJ Spotlight News.

High and dry: Princeton unveils high water rescue truck

For TAPinto Princeton –
As storms grow stronger, a $257K military-grade vehicle promises safer flood rescues and a quicker response

Federal cuts cloud forecast at Princeton’s legendary climate lab

For TAPinto Princeton – As the Trump Administration slashes funding for climate research, scientists across the U.S. speak out— unofficially.

Hey, bear! American black bears are increasingly common in Princeton

For TAPinto Princeton – As New Jersey’s black bear population grows, Princeton’s Animal Control Officer, Jim Ferry, has some practical advice: Don’t feed them, don’t surprise them, and definitely don’t run

Fleeing the scene: Princeton grapples with a persistent rate of hit and runs

For TAPinto Princeton – Even with an alert community and active police investigations, hit-and-run drivers often disappear without a trace — in Princeton and across the nation.

When the power goes out, Princeton heads to the library

For The Sustainability Reporting Hub – From hurricane refuge to climate resilience hub, the Princeton Public Library’s ‘Library of Things’ redefines what it means to be prepared. (Produced in collaboration with TAPinto Princeton)

The native plant rescue mission

For The Sustainability Reporting Hub – Facing habitat loss and declining biodiversity, a Princeton-based nursery helps gardeners restore New Jersey’s wild beauty, one seedling at a time. (Produced in collaboration with TAPinto Princeton)

How to save a salamander

For The Sustainability Reporting Hub – A Princeton volunteer brigade helps frogs and salamanders survive their perilous spring migration — but keeping humans safe is proving just as hard. (Produced in collaboration with TAPinto Princeton)

School district left parents in the dark about high lead levels in school drinking fountains in 2022

For TAPinto Princeton –
Testing of school drinking fountains in 2022 showed alarming lead levels but the results were not communicated to parents, raising questions about transparency, safety, and what comes next for district families.

Excess lead found in seven drinking fountains at four elementary schools

For TAPinto Princeton – A spigot in one of the classrooms had 8 times the limit; District took 19 days to shut fountains down.

Princeton parents push for safer streets

For The Sustainability Reporting Hub – A new initiative hopes to get more kids walking and biking to school, boosting independence, sustainability, and road safety. (Produced in collaboration with TAPinto Princeton)

Princeton, we have a salt problem

For TAPinto Princeton – Environmental advocates warn that excessive road salt is is harming Princeton’s ecosystem and ask: Is the town using too much?

Washington may be ignoring climate change but there’s still work to do in Princeton

For TAPinto Princeton – As the Trump administration upends environmental protections, eight Princeton-based environmental organizations have a job for you.

Princeton’s water tastes odd again. This time, blame the weather.

For TAPinto Princeton – Salt used to de-ice the roadways has entered the public water suppy and altered the taste. It’s still safe to drink, says New Jersey American Water.

A dangerous Princeton intersection prompts parents to ask, Where is the crossing guard?

For TAPinto Princeton – Parent groups advocate to make streets safer for kids walking and biking to school — Harrison and Prospect is a case in point.

What caused the taste and odor problems in Princeton’s drinking water?

For TAPinto Princeton – A reader asked what caused the quality breach last December. The culprit? An industrial perfume, leaking near a loading dock in Somerset County.

How much PFAS is in Princeton’s water? Not zero.

For TAPinto Princeton – Princeton’s water meets state guidelines for how many ‘forever chemicals’ are acceptable in the water supply, but exceeds EPA standards. Neighboring towns are even higher. Water providers are scrambling to meet a 2029 quality deadline.

Where are those police sirens going?

For TAPinto Princeton – In November 2024, the Princeton Police department responded to 61 crashes on our roads. In this first column, we summarized each crash in order to give residents an idea of what can go wrong when pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers circulate around our town.

How should Princeton pay for stormwater management?

For TAPinto Princeton – A stormwater utility, proponents assert, would raise revenue in a more equitable way for residential property owners.

The most dangerous place for Princeton’s pedestrians? On the crosswalk

For TAPinto Princeton – Police reports show where cars are crashing into bicyclists and pedestrians. Exactly no one is surprised.

Is your shed basking in the sun?

For TAPinto Princeton– changes to Princeton’s solar panel ordinance boost hopes for more homegrown renewable energy.

First the flood, then the paperwork

For TAPinto Princeton – Steve Waskow wants to move his house out of the floodplain, but rules designed for a more stable climate keep his home in harm’s way. (This article was a recipient of a 2025 Excellence in Local News Award. Many thanks to Steve for sharing his story with me!)

Lake Carnegie gets an unwelcome summer visitor

For TAPinto Princeton – toxic cyanobacteria in the lake feast on lawn fertilizer, stormwater runoff, and animal waste. A rapidly warming climate doesn’t help. (This article was in the 2024 Top 10 most viewed articles across the TAPinto franchise, which covers 90 news sites in four states.)

Come hell or high water

For TAPinto Princeton – a dramatic rescue highlights why Princeton spent $250k on a high-water rescue truck

Princeton in the climate change era: flood risk zone expands

For TAPinto Princeton – an upgraded town ordinance expands the flood risk zone to cover 78 properties