Our regional competition’s primary advantage over Atlantic City is convenience, so we must make it as convenient as possible for our customers to get to Atlantic City, then easily travel within it.

To that end, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, under the leadership of Executive Director Thomas D. Carver and Chairman James Kehoe, has assumed ownership of the Atlantic City Regional Transportation Plan.

The plan results from more than two years analyzing the region’s transportation infrastructure, studying how existing and planned development will impact transportation. Significantly, the plan proposes improvements that are linked to anticipated economic development in Atlantic City.

This phased approach has three key elements: 1) transportation and land use are tied together; 2) improvements will only be implemented if needed, and will be in place ahead of demand; and 3) a flexible “pay as you grow” financing approach invites creative approaches to funding capital-intensive transportation projects.

The plan recommends the formation of AC RIGHT (the Atlantic City Regional Implementation Group for Housing and Transportation). In May, Governor Corzine signed an executive order authorizing this inter-agency team, which will be comprised of commissioners and technical staff from the implementing agencies (such as DOT, SJTA, NJT) and non-transportation agencies (Pinelands, DEP and others).

With members of the governor’s cabinet, state agencies and planning organizations working together, AC RIGHT will coordinate these transportation projects with new housing for the casino workforce.

Two years ago, when the transportation study was first planned, five new casinos were proposed and 17,000 new hotels rooms were expected to be built, with 40,000 expected new casino employees.         While the economy has stalled many of those plans, Governor Corzine predicted the casino industry will recover once the recession is over, saying now is the time to begin  transportation projects that will ease traffic tie-ups and draw new tourists to Atlantic City in the next decade.

“We want to be ready to go, to take advantage of it,” the governor said. Carver added, “It will include incentives for communities that help the planning group to speed up projects in an effort to bring reality and a strong probability of completion on these things we think are important.”

Details of the transportation study were made public at the South Jersey Economic Development Forum in May. Projects range from a Boardwalk bike path to upgrades for the three entry highways into Atlantic City, the Atlantic City rail line and Atlantic City International Airport. Smaller projects would widen local streets and modernize the traffic signal system.

AC RIGHT will call public hearings, streamline the regulatory process, and work with business and community organizations to promote economic development. South Jersey Transportation Authority Executive Director Bart Mueller described the developments at the Atlantic City International Airport and also the key role the SJTA plays in providing the links that promote economic development and workforce housing.

The Casino Association supports this counter-cyclical investment strategy: Invest public funds in “shovel-ready” infrastructure projects when the economy is in a down cycle. This will spur the economy and let us hit the ground running when the economy improves.

We also endorse a prudent approach that prioritizes and implements projects in a manner that produces the quickest positive impact on the challenges currently facing Atlantic City and the region.

By Joseph Corbo, Jr.

Joseph A. Corbo, Jr. is president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, and general counsel of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.