Atlantic City Weekly

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While determining the subject matter for this week’s column, I came across the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority’s (CRDA) Atlantic City Regional Transportation Plan, which was presented at the Atlantic City Convention Center in May 2009. I decided to go back into my past columns and saw that I devoted four consecutive weeks here to inform you about the CRDA’s intended projects. I felt this was an opportunity for the future of Atlantic City and with all those involved it seemed like a sure thing that it would get done — or at least phases of it would. To insure that it would get off on the right foot, former Governor Jon Corzine signed an executive order that created the Atlantic City Regional Implementation Group for Housing and Transportation otherwise known as “AC RIGHT.”

Corzine said, “Without question, South Jersey is a potent economic engine critical to New Jersey’s emergence from the current global recession, with Atlantic City being the nucleus. I am confident that by creating the AC RIGHT we will capitalize on South Jersey’s extensive economic resources and also fulfill the economic promise of Atlantic City.”

Members in AC RIGHT were to include commissioners and executive directors of cabinet-level agencies as well as representatives from the CRDA and South Jersey planning organizations. The group would have the authority to coordinate multi-agency and regulatory review of projects and make recommendations to streamline the review process as well as conduct public meetings and work with business and community groups to advance its mission. Sounds good doesn’t it? Did you ever hear of any meeting that was held by AC RIGHT or learned of anything they were going to do to further the Atlantic City Regional Transportation Plan? I didn’t. And I never saw it in any newspaper or heard about it on any media source.

On May 21, 2009, the headline of this column was: “SOUTH JERSEY’S FUTURE.” I am happy to report that there has been progress on about one third of the projects mentioned. Of the 20 projects, four are currently under construction — the widening of Connecticut Avenue, the widening of Mississippi Avenue between Atlantic and Arctic avenues and a third lane going west on the Atlantic City Expressway. New Jitneys will begin operating on Pacific Avenue June 1. Plans are being drawn for a direct connection from the A.C. Expressway to the A.C. International Airport and plans are underway for the expansion of the airport.

What about the other projects? The Mississippi Avenue garage is being held up in the courts due to a challenge of the awarding of the construction contract.

Here’s what hasn’t happened: Pacific/Atlantic Avenue One-Way Pair Corridor, traffic-signal system upgrades, Atlantic City-Brigantine Connector signage improvement, regional traffic operations center, new Atlantic City rail-line airport station, a linked land use/worker housing to transportation, reconfiguring of the A.C. Expressway and Garden State Parkway interchange, full GSP interchange at exit 44, Absecon Boulevard elevated roadway section, Albany Avenue corridor improvements, corridor pedestrian crossings and a bike-way on the Boardwalk. In my view the most important of these is the traffic signalization program for Atlantic City and there’s been no report on this getting done in the near future. Hopefully, the CRDA will get some of the other projects underway in the not-too-distant future.

Notes Of Interest

The Boardwalk Committee has had complaints about the empty billboard at Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard and the Boardwalk, which is jointly owned by the Shiff Brothers and Pinnacle Entertainment. I brought this to the attention of Atlantic City’s Deputy Solicitor Irv Jacoby and requested that he speak with the owners of the board about allowing the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority (ACCVA) to put a sign on the empty board, until such time as it is rented. Both parties agreed and Maureen Siman, VP of marketing for the ACCVA, is in the midst of getting a sign made to place on the empty board. I urge Atlantic City’s City Council to pass an ordinance stating that if a signboard is without a rented sign on it for 30 days, it should be made available first to the city and then to any charitable organization willing to take advantage of it until it is rented. Blank billboards create an ugly atmosphere.

The demolishing of the Atlantic City Post Office building is under way. When completed, the area will be seeded and have a park-like atmosphere. This will give the city another long empty lot on Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, one third of a block wide from Atlantic to Pacific avenues. It will provide a four-lane roadway to the Boardwalk with the empty Pinnacle block on one side and a large empty area on the other. It would have been nice to have a parking lot on that site, but it is too costly and Pinnacle is not going to spend the money necessary to establish a parking lot.

Happy to inform you that Mayor Lorenzo Langford will issue an executive order stating that trucks on the Boardwalk will have to use the nearest ramp for ingress and egress. For years, the Boardwalk Committee has been complaining about the vehicles on the Boardwalk causing nails to come up.

The long-awaited redevelopment of the Roosevelt Place pavilion will begin within the next two months and should be completed by the end of the summer. The CRDA is providing the funding and oversight of the development. The next pavilion that should be reconstructed is the one at Pacific Avenue and the Boardwalk. It is a disgrace to have it sitting there the way it looks.

Pinky’s Corner airs Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm on News Talk WOND-AM 1400. His TV show, WMGM Presents Pinky, airs Saturday at 7:30pm on TV40.