ROADWAY ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANCEMENT INITIATIVE (READI)

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The Authority established an environmental division in the year 2017 to adopt a strategy to provide responsible stewardship of the Atlantic City Expressway that travels 28 miles through the sensitive National Pinelands Reserve. The program is called the Roadway Environmental Advancement Initiative, (READI).

The READI program includes the planting of native wildflowers, installing bird boxes and nesting platforms along with storm water management.
The READI program benefits from an academic partnership with Stockton University that connects environmental science students with the Authority through an academic internship semester.

READI assists the NJ Fish and Wildlife Services through the CHANJ (Connecting Habitats Across New Jersey) project. Together, READI and NJF&WS have established and monitored safe wildlife crossings, under the roadway, that assure the successful migration of the pine snake and other animals throughout the roadway.
The READI program invited the NJ Fish and Wildlife Services to co-host the Northeastern Transportation and Wildlife Conference here in Atlantic City this September 18th to the 21st. The NETWC conference is a real opportunity to bring together planners, engineers, biologists and academics from both transportation and wildlife agencies.

The READI program proudly established relationships with the below listed agencies: US Fish and Wildlife, NJ Audubon, NJ Pinelands, US Dept. Agriculture, NJDEP, Stockton University, PEC Pennsylvania Environmental Council.

Downloadable PDF documents:

Baby great horned owls

Owls CNBNews

READI Project Details January 2019

READI BOOK

SJTA - Osprey Platforms 2020 NETWC

SJTA Co-hosted the 2022 Northeastern Transportation & Wildlife Conference held in Atlantic City along with NJF&W and NJDOT.

Roadmaps Reimagined -

Harnessing Today's Opportunities to Help Wildlife Navigate Our Mobile World

The undeniable challenge of sustaining wildlife mobility across a fragmented and changing landscape is being met with historic support, offering up a pivotal moment for conservation. NETWC 2022 brings together a community of transportation and ecology professionals, researchers and advocates, to share our collective expertise and harness today's opportunities to put pro-wildlife infrastructure solutions into practice.