Mayor Launches New Effort To Clean Up Atlantic City & Attract More Tourists
By Cleve Bryan
ATLANTIC CITY (CBS) -- There's a new effort to remove graffiti in Atlantic City as new Mayor Don Guardian says the city has to be cleaner and safer.
"Sometimes we take people for granted and we can't be doing that anymore. You got a lot of places to go and we got to prove that Atlantic City and the Jersey Shore is the place for you to come," says Guardian.
He says while free events like the Blake Shelton concert and the Atlantic City Air Show will highlight the summer program. He focused on the basics like improving lighting and increasing trash removal.
Crews are out five days a week picking up trash in the street as wells as cleaning up parks and alley ways.
"It's a lot better than what it has been, streets are getting a lot cleaner today because now we're getting the equipment we need," says street cleaning supervisor Anthony Donaldson.
The trash removal and the new graffiti team are aggressively seeking to eliminate eye soars beyond just the tourism district.
"It used to look really nasty, now look at the way it looks now," says life-long resident Sean Martin as he stands next to a wall where the graffiti was removed, "I think the city is doing a really good job."
Also, street lamps are being replaced LED lights which will improve brightness and save about $800k a year in utility costs.
"We need to make sure it's clean and safe and green and that you have a good time and want to come back again and that's my job," says Guardian.