Six downstate proposals remain to compete for three casino licenses to host live table games, but with nearly every application, a common concern at community hearings is traffic.

The six casinos each have plans to deal with traffic, including increased cars, charter buses and rideshare vehicles. All the proposals aim to encourage or incentivize the use of public transportation.

What You Need To Know

  • The six casinos in and near the city vying for three downstate licenses do expect to bring increased traffic, but hope patrons will take public transit

  • Some plans include increased parking, road and rail improvements, off-site parking and transportation passes for employees and the hope of new ferry stops 

  • Experts don’t expect high rollers or those who win cash to travel by public transit

“I think it’s not realistic to think that people aren’t driving to a casino,” said Sara Lind, the co-executive director of Open Plans, which advocates for better use of public space. “I mean, everyone obviously has the hope that they’re going to hit it big when they’re at the casino. They’re not planning to take a bunch of cash back on the subway.”

Representatives for Freedom Plaza across from the U.N. on First Avenue — the only Manhattan casino proposal still alive for now — argue that most guests will be tourists without cars, and that having a hotel close to the U.N. will reduce the need for travel for attendees during the gridlock of general assembly week.

The plan, in part, includes an entrance along the FDR rather than First Avenue, free shuttles to Grand Central and the nearby ferry, a 24/7 on-site traffic manager and offers employees passes for mass transit, but does not include onsite parking for staff.

Other casinos, like the Coney, in Coney Island, plan for limited parking on already hard-to-park Coney Island. Representatives say that having four subway lines will reduce traffic.

The Coney and Metropolitan Park by Citi Field also advocate for new nearby ferry service, with the Coney offering to put up money for it. But getting new routes, whether it’s the subway or ferry, hasn’t been easy.

“We’ve seen throughout New York City history how difficult that can be. So, I’m not holding my breath,“ Lind said.

The Queens proposals: Metropolitan Park, backed by Mets owner Steve Cohen, and Resorts World, a plan to expand an existing casino in southern Queens, are close to highways and mass transit.

Cohen’s project promises to overhaul the Willets Point 7 and LIRR stations, making them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The proposal will also add parking garages and revamp the roads to improve traffic flow, as will the proposals for Resorts World and Empire City in Yonkers near the Bronx border.

Resorts World plans to improve the A train stop at Howard Beach. Both argue they are well-equipped to handle traffic since electronic casinos are already operated on their sites.

Besides increasing parking, Bally’s near the Whitestone Bridge in the Bronx says they will invest $75 million for a shuttle, additional MTA bus stops, and improvements to a road within Ferry Point Park and the Hutchinson River Parkway.

The community advisory committees reviewing the remaining proposals have until Sept. 30 to make a decision on which ones will move to the state for review. A final decision will come in December.

The state Gaming Facility Location Board will consider how much in taxes the state will take in from each project, some of it earmarked for education, some for the MTA, as well as how quickly each proposal can start generating revenue.