[twicedead]

[QUOTE=newboldphilly;3166624]For a city/metro if its size AC does have really high transit ridership.

I def. think AC has enough cachet now that it's ready to start doing a little more as far as residential construction is concerned. I think having light rail or at least some form of BRT connecting Brigantine with AC, Ventnor, Margate, and possibly Ocean City and definitely back to park'n'rides on the mainland - would get that kick-started.

As far as the schools go, most big cities have relatively shitty school systems (compared to the suburbs that surround them) and for the most part it's not people with kids that are filling up most downtowns - it's the bookend demographic. One of them, the baby-boomers, is the fastest growing segment of the population.

Anyway - a few pics from Atlantic Ave. and "the Walk" along Michigan Ave. (it connects the train station/convention center with the Boardwalk). It's not like it's some bombed out shell of a city and I think most people can see the potential.

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I have a house on the island and they used to have rail (trolly)service that went downbeach to Margate, Ventnor and Longport along Atlantic Ave and got rid of itback in the 70s I belive. I don't think you'll ever see that again. None of the mentioned towns even allow weekly rentals of the homes (which they did back then) only Seasonal so most of the people either live all year or are summer residents. Also there's no way Margate or Longport would allow it, it's just not in their nature. They don't even let the Jitney's which have to do a U-Turn in Ventnor. There is ample parking at the casinos and revel, MGM and Pinnacle will have designated lots for employees. Not to mention the bad blood between the two towns which are fighting over a bulkhead being built that's gotten really ugly.

NJ transit has a good bus program on the Island though that goes to the Casinos to Longport.

That being said there's no way any light rail will go to Ocean City just for the expense and the unwilliness the town is to spend public money. Getting them to agree to redoing the bridge was a tough process.

Did you snap any pics of the new Taj tower. That's going up quite fast.