Fewer casinos means fewer people travelling to Atlantic City.
Vehicle traffic fell 8 percent and toll revenue declined nearly 4 percent to $6.4 million on the Atlantic City Expressway in September compared to the same month in 2013, according to statistics compiled by the South Jersey Transportation Authority.
At the beginning of the month, three resort casinos—Trump Plaza, Showboat and revel—closed joining the Atlantic Club, which closed in January.
Frank Frankowski, the authority’s interim executive director, attributed the expressway’s sluggish traffic to the closing of the Showboat, Revel and Trump Plaza casinos.
“Since September, the expressway has been dealing with the impact of the challenges Atlantic City is experiencing,” Frank Frankowski, the authority’s interim director said during an authority meeting
So far this year, expressway traffic is down 2 percent compared to the first nine months of last year. About 39.5 million vehicles have traveled on the expressway so far this year, compared with nearly 40.4 million during the first nine months of 2013.
Figures were also down for Atlantic City International Airport, casino bus traffic and the commuter rail line that runs between Atlantic City and Philadelphia.
Airport figures showed a nearly 2 percent decline in traffic overall for September, with charter passengers down the most.
Overall, however, airport traffic is up nearly 8 percent for the year as Spirit Airlines’ scheduled new service and daily flights to Chicago and Houston in the spring. However, the figures may indicate that the airport is being used by local residents, flying out of the area more than tourists coming into the area, officials said.
