Created in 1965, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) is an interstate, intercounty and intercity agency that provides continuing, comprehensive and coordinated planning to shape a vision for the future growth of the Delaware Valley region. The region includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, as well as the City of Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania; and Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties in New Jersey. DVRPC provides technical assistance and services; conducts high priority studies that respond to the requests and demands of member state and local governments; fosters cooperation among various constituents to forge a consensus on diverse regional issues; determines and meets the needs of the private sector; and practices public outreach efforts to promote two-way communication and public awareness of regional issues and the Commission. Our logo is adapted from the official DVRPC seal, and is designed as a stylized image of the Delaware Valley. The outer ring symbolizes the region as a whole, while the diagonal bar signifies the Delaware River. The two adjoining crescents represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the State of New Jersey. DVRPC is funded by a variety of funding sources including federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Pennsylvania and New Jersey departments of transportation, as well as by DVRPC’s state and local member governments. The authors, however, are solely responsible for its findings and conclusions, which may not represent the official views or policies of the funding agencies. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction 5 Chapter 1: Overview of Gaming in Pennsylvania 7 Legislation 7 Establishment of State Gaming Control Board 8 Licensing Process 8 Issue of Local Zoning Control in Legislation 9 Philadelphia Gaming Advisory Task Force 10 Concerned Organizations 10 Moratorium on New Delaware Waterfront Development 11 Penn Praxis to Plan Delaware Waterfront in Philadelphia 12 Chapter 2: Potential Casino Sites & Land Use Impacts 13 Philadelphia Park 17 Harrah’s Chester Racetrack and Casino 27 Limerick Casino, Hotel and Conference Center 39 Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia 51 Riverwalk Casino 63 SugarHouse Casino 73 Pinnacle Casino 79 TrumpStreet Casino 85 Land Use Recommendations 95 Chapter 3: Transportation Impacts 99 Regional Issues 99 Regional Transportation Impact 99 Transportation Planning Policy Issues 100 DVRPC’s Congestion Management Process 101 Gaming Facilities 103 Philadelphia Park 103 Harrah’s Chester Racetrack and Casino 111 Limerick Casino, Hotel and Conference Center 121 Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia 127 Philadelphia North Delaware Waterfront Casinos 133 TrumpStreet Casino 141 Transportation Recommendations 147 Conclusion 151 Chapter 4: Signage and Visual Quality Impacts 153 Types of Signs 153 Regulations: Local Sign Ordinances 157 Regulations: Billboard Legislation 163 Wayfinding and the Manual of Uniform Control Devices (MUTCD) 167 Signage Impacts 169 Signage and Visual Quality Recommendations 171 Conclusion 177 Bibliography 179 Glossary of Acronyms 183 Study Advisory Committee 185 Appendix A: Transportation Maps 187 Appendix B: The Public Trust Doctrine and Riparian Rights 213 List of Maps Map 1: Greater Philadelphia Gaming Sites 15 Map 2: Philadelphia Park Land Use 18 Map 3: Philadelphia Park Zoning 22 Map 4: Harrah’s Chester Land Use 30 Map 5: Harrah’s Chester Zoning 34 Map 6: Limerick Casino Land Use 40 Map 7: Limerick Casino Zoning 43 Map 8: Foxwoods Land Use 54 Map 9: Foxwoods and North Delaware Future Development 58 Map 10: Foxwoods Zoning 60 Map 11: North Delaware Land Use 64 Map 12: North Delaware Zoning 71 Map 13: TrumpStreet Land Use 88 Map 14: TrumpStreet Zoning 91 List of Appendix A Maps Map A1: Philadelphia Park Roadway Network 189 Map A2: Philadelphia Park Transit 190 Map A3: Philadelphia Park Traffic Counts 191 Map A4: Philadelphia Park PENNDOT Crash Clusters 192 Map A5: Harrah’s Chester Roadway Network 193 Map A6: Harrah’s Chester Transit 194 Map A7: Harrah’s Chester Traffic Counts 195 Map A8: Harrah’s Chester PENNDOT Crash Clusters 196 Map A9: Limerick Casino Roadway Network 197 Map A10: Limerick Casino Transit 198 Map A11: Limerick Casino Traffic Counts 199 Map A12: Limerick Casino PENNDOT Crash Clusters 200 Map A13: Foxwoods Roadway Network 201 Map A14: Foxwoods Transit 202 Map A15: Foxwoods Traffic Counts 203 Map A16: Foxwoods PENNDOT Crash Clusters 204 Map A17: North Delaware Roadway Network 205 Map A18: North Delaware Transit 206 Map A19: North Delaware Traffic Counts 207 Map A20: North Delaware PENNDOT Crash Clusters 208 Map A21: TrumpStreet Roadway Network 209 Map A22: TrumpStreet Transit 210 Map A23: TrumpStreet Traffic Counts 211 Map A24: TrumpStreet PENNDOT Crash Clusters 212 Impacts of Gaming in Greater Philadelphia Executive Summary The purpose of this study, Impacts of Gaming in Greater Philadelphia, is to assess the potential land use, transportation, and signage impacts of the pending casino licenses for the Delaware Valley region. Eight casinos have been proposed in the region, and licensing decisions are imminent. Affected communities will include the City of Philadelphia, with two of five casino proposals allowed; Bensalem Township and the City of Chester, each with one proposed “racino” (a racetrack with slots); and Limerick Township, with one casino proposed. The study acknowledges that neighboring communities, and indeed neighboring regions, will also be affected by the introduction of gaming. It has been said that gaming is the new Wal-Mart in terms of impacts and neighborhood opposition. The gaming industry has expanded rapidly in the 1990s to include many more local markets, beyond the national draws of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. The Philadelphia region, and all of Pennsylvania, is now faced with planning for the arrival of several gaming facilities in the very near future. The Philadelphia region is unique, however, in the licensing of slots-only parlors, either freestanding, at a racetrack, or resort. Table games are not part of the gaming operations allowed under the state legislation, at least not yet. This makes the challenges to this region more complex, as all other national research on gaming has been focused on facilities with slots and table games. According to the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, 68 percent of U.S. citizens have gambled legally once in the past year. This includes such other games as bingo and the lottery. Thus, given the region’s population of 5.4 million, it is estimated that 3.6 million Delaware Valley residents have gambled legally in the past year. There is a good chance some of these 3.6 million might patronize a greater Philadelphia casino. This report speculates on what changes may occur, and what the region and local municipalities should do to proactively plan for the arrival of casinos. This year-long study, begun in the fall of 2005, examines the casino proposals in depth from a planning perspective. Existing planning regulations in the affected municipalities, including zoning and comprehensive plans, were reviewed. Prior related studies and the required casino impact reports were also examined. The study looks at the compatibility of existing land uses and future development near the proposed casinos, as well as the demographics of the study areas. The proposed architectural and site designs of each casino were also examined. Existing transportation infrastructure, such as local roadways, transit, and multimodal connections were assessed. Existing daily traffic and roadway levels of service data was used to gain an accurate portrait of future transportation challenges. Existing signage regulations were reviewed in light of national best practices research. 1 Impacts of Gaming in Greater Philadelphia The study was guided by a Study Advisory Committee, composed of representatives from the proposed casinos, affected municipalities, the state departments of transportation, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, transit agencies, county planning commissions, the Philadelphia Gaming Advisory Task Force, the transportation management associations (TMAs), and local advocates. Quarterly meetings were held at DVRPC, featuring guest speakers and presentations by DVRPC staff on findings and recommendations. While many groups have been working diligently on gaming issues locally and nationwide, DVRPC’s study provides a unique regional viewpoint and recommendations geared towards the topical areas of transportation, land use, and signage, given the agency’s role in fostering a continuing, comprehensive and coordinated planning process for the region. Often times the costs and benefits of gaming are not equally distributed. While there are many issues associated with gaming, including very important social and economic impacts, these topics are beyond the reach of this study. The report bibliography lists some excellent websites that cover these topics. Findings and Recommendations The study found that most of the communities have the proper zoning in place to encourage desirable land uses near the casinos and prohibit unwanted uses. The City of Philadelphia has proposed a new overlay zoning district that will guide new development around the two casinos ultimately licensed. All five of the proposed Philadelphia casinos are on redevelopment sites, and all are close enough to residential neighborhoods that care should be taken to mitigate negative