By: Follow South Jersey Staff
ATLANTICY CITY, N.J. — Atlantic City has been designated as a Transit Village, making it the 35th municipality to be recognized since the initiative began in 1999, the state announced.
According to New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), the state’s “Transit Village Initiative connects designated municipalities with a task force comprised of 10 state agencies that help implement mixed-use development and Complete Streets accommodations near transit facilities. The agencies that make up the Transit Village Task Force, which includes NJDOT and NJ TRANSIT, can provide funding and technical assistance through their programs to municipalities that have been designated as a Transit Village.”
“To receive a Transit Village designation, a municipality must develop a plan for redevelopment that promotes economic activity and public transportation,” NJDOT Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said in a press release from NJDOT. “Atlantic City’s plan to create a mixed-use neighborhood near the Atlantic City rail station will transform one of New Jersey’s premier destinations in a way that will enhance the quality of life for the residents, as well as visitors, through enhanced bike and pedestrian facilities near public transportation, shops and restaurants.”
The primary objective of the Transit Village District is to “promote compact, mixed-use development, and a walkable, bikeable and transit friendly environment around the Atlantic City rail station, which is the focal point of the Transit Village,” a press release from NJDOT stated.
According to NJDOT, the plan is to increase housing opportunities within walking distance of shops, restaurants, offices, entertainment, and cultural centers by increasing opportunities for pedestrian activity and reducing reliance on automobiles to help reduce traffic congestion and pollution, boost the local economy, and improve the feeling of safety and security.
“It’s been important to the Small administration to enhance public transit, strengthen our economy, and encourage development near our transit facilities,” City of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr. said in a press release from the city. “With this recognition and support, we will continue our efforts to make even greater improvements for our community. On behalf of our residents and visitors, we thank Governor Murphy and the New Jersey Department of Transportation for designating the Great City of Atlantic City as a Transit Village.”
NJDOT states that it has programmed $1 million in the Fiscal Year 2024 Capital Program to provide funding on a competitive basis to the 35 municipalities designated as Transit Villages. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Governor Phil Murphy and Legislature provided an additional $2 million allowing 10 municipalities to receive grants.
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