Station Square casino developers pitch new traffic plan to state panel
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HARRISBURG -- Station Square casino developers yesterday used a video simulation to argue to Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board members that concerns about traffic jams are overblown.
Images of cars, buses and trolleys flowed smoothly on Carson Street and the Smithfield Street Bridge in their presentation.
The trick will be to keep traffic moving that way for real if a casino with thousands of slot machines opens there.
Representatives of Station Square owner Forest City Enterprises appeared before the board yesterday to defend their traffic plan.
It was their last chance to provide testimony to the board before Dec. 20, when five casino licenses are to be awarded, including one for a Pittsburgh site.
Station Square's competitors -- Isle of Capri Casinos Inc. and PITG Gaming LLC -- presented their traffic studies at a hearing two weeks ago. Station Square was asked to return yesterday because the gaming board's traffic consultant, Albert Federico, hadn't finished reviewing plan revisions before that previous hearing.
The revised plan includes an expanded study of traffic flow showing Friday night traffic patterns and the video representation of rush-hour traffic from the West End through Downtown and South Side.
Mr. Federico said the changes addressed some of the concerns he had with Station Square's first submission more than a year ago.
Still, little can be done to prevent congestion at Carson Street and the Smithfield Street Bridge, the main access to Station Square, he said.
A pedestrian bridge over Carson, a new traffic signal system and the scheduling of slots tournaments during off-peak hours will help, developers said.
Still, to mitigate automobile traffic, developers plan to use monitoring cameras to control traffic signals, to build a pedestrian bridge and to alternate travel direction on one lane of the West End and Smithfield Street bridges at peak travel times.
"In the morning, there will be one more extra lane coming in and at night, an extra lane going out," said Jerry Wentzel, a transportation engineering consultant for Forest City.
Automobile congestion also would be mitigated by the site's close proximity to public transportation, Mr. Wentzel said. Gamblers will arrive by incline, bus, trolley and boat, he said.
Casino operators are as concerned about traffic as anyone and Station Square's plan is a viable one, said Chuck Atwood, vice president of entertainment for Harrah's, which would operate the Station Square casino.
"Customers can't try their hand at the slots if they can't get to the site to do it, so we do pay attention to traffic," he said.
Traffic is one factor the gaming board is required to consider in awarding the licenses. Others include economic impact, effect on the community, the development plan, business experience and financial strength.
Station Square developers contend traffic plans for all three Pittsburgh casino applications are viable and should not be a factor in the licensing decision.
"The Legislature put three [casinos] in urban areas ... because it felt casinos were necessary for the economic development of those urban areas. They knew at the time there would be congestion in these major urban areas," said Albert Ratner, co-chairman of the board of Forest City Enterprises.
"You have to trade off congestion for economic development."
First Published December 7, 2006 12:00 am
