Deal to Resolve Controversial Atlantic City Road Plan is Reached

There hasn’t been much good news out of Atlantic City, New Jersey lately.

This qualifies as good news.

A tentative deal has finally been reached regarding the Atlantic Avenue and the so called “road diet” scheme.

A “road diet” was Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small’s bad idea to shrink a well-functioning Atlantic Avenue from 4 lanes (2 each way) down to 2 lanes.

It was universally rejected by every single Atlantic City share holder, including:

• Atlantic City Casinos
• AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center
• Atlantic City business community

I did my own field test of the "new" Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The so-called "Road Diet."

To the left, you can plainly see a bicycle rider, who is riding down the center, between the two car lanes.

This is exactly what we predicted would occur.

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small continues to brag about getting $ 24 million dollars for this project, which also will result in a newly resurfaced Atlantic Avenue and traffic light resynchronization.

The City of Atlantic City was required to file this plan with the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment

Development Authority (NJCRDA) because part of Atlantic Avenue is located within what is known as “The Tourism District." The City of Atlantic City did not consult with the NJCRDA and instead went rogue and began the road shrinkage project.

New Jersey Superior Court Judge Michael Blee successfully led settlement agreement negotiations which at least will temporarily leave the Atlantic County road configuration the way it has always been.

The City of Atlantic City, the Atlantic City Casinos and the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority all have agreed to the deal.

The Atlantic City Council and NJCRDA Board still have to approve the deal. They will.

Developing.