Aimed at safety, Atlantic City road narrowing accelerates fears of worse traffic in gambling resort

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Even with two lanes each way, the main road through Atlantic City can be choked with traffic, particularly when big concerts are in town. Now, in order to access $24 million in federal and state highway safety money, the city is acceding to demands to narrow decrepit Atlantic Avenue from four lanes to two — all in the name of protecting pedestrians. Road work began this week and the city’s mayor says the new funding is a “no-brainer” since it will pay the costs of new paving, new sidewalks and synchronized traffic lights. Skeptics, however, are warning of even worse traffic jams to come in the gambling mecca.