The narrowing of Atlantic Ocean Avenue inward Atlantic Ocean City testament carry on after a tell adjudicate ruled the gambling casino plaintiffs that asked the court of law to arrest the externalise failed to prove irreparable harm.
New island of Jersey Superior Court Judge Michael Blee on Friday dismissed an enjoinment quest from Phoebe Boardwalk casinos and a local wellness tending system. The plaintiffs argued that reducing the list of vehicular lanes on Atlantic Ave. from quaternary to deuce would farther increase traffic over-crowding — an unappealing ken for arriving casino guests — and could wait emergency vehicles trying to contact AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center to ply life-saving services.
The court does not debate the personal inconvenience of residents and visitors to be irreparable harm,” Blee wrote.
Atlantic City officials, including Mayor Marty Small Sr., believe narrowing the city’s main retarding force — inwards what’s called a “road diet” — will improve walker safety. Nearly 10% of the to a greater extent than 800 vehicle accidents that occurred on Atlantic Ocean Ave. betwixt 2013 and 2017 mired a pedestrian.
By reducing the identification number of vehicular lanes from quartet to two, Atlantic Ave.’s sidewalks testament follow widened to ease easier walking and forestall pedestrians from stepping onto the route to capture around slower people.
Trial Scheduled
Bally’s, Caesars, Hard Rock, Resorts, and Tropicana debate a to a greater extent engorged Atlantic Ave. testament further break the arriver go through for its guests.
The Atlantic City Expressway arrives inward townspeople at Baltic Sea Ave. and Saint Christopher Cristobal Colon Blvd. From there, guests persist in unbowed to Caesars or urinate a left or redress on Atlantic Ocean Ave. to reach their casino destination.
The Atlantic City Boardwalk casino properties and AtlantiCare are disappointed inwards today’s ruling,” said Saint Mark Giannantonio, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey and Resorts Casino Hotel. “We standstill steady inward our belief that this modification in traffic patterns on Atlantic Avenue could have really tangible public health, safety, and general welfare implications.”
Even with quaternary lanes, Atlantic Ocean Ave. becomes exceedingly in use(p) during the summertime months and marquee events and concerts.
Ocean Casino Resort, which is the northernmost gaming property on the Boardwalk, as easily as the III Marina District casinos — Borgata, Harrah’s, and Golden Nugget — are not participating inward the route dieting litigation.
The grammatical case will top dog to a total trial, but potential won’t be heard until February 2025. The road-narrowing send off is expected to follow ruined past this spring. The project began in conclusion month and is already nearly half complete.
Blee says if the trial run goes the plaintiffs’ way, Atlantic Ave. can be remarked to issue the roadway to foursome lanes.
Casino Foe, Not Friend
The casinos and AtlantiCare argued that the route narrowing needful approval from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), which has jurisdiction over the city’s Tourism District where Atlantic Ave. is beingness trimmed. The city argued, and Blee agreed, that the state holds last say-so and CRDA did non participate inwards the lawsuit.
Blee’s ruling is his a la mode(p) decision against the Atlantic Ocean City casino industry. In 2022, Blee upset a business deal reached betwixt New island of Jersey lawmakers and the casinos that sought to significantly tighten the amount of money they pay under their PILOT (payment in lieu of tax) program.
Blee said the state’s willingness to transfer iGaming and online sports betting revenue from the deliberation that determines how practically belongings task the casinos collectively compensate violated the body politic physical composition because it provided a tax welfare to an manufacture without a “public purpose.”
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