Refurbished Rail Cars Finally Roll On PATCO

PATCO finally rolled out the first of its refurbished rail cars Thursday morning, with local officials promising the $194 million overhaul will mean new levels of comfort, safety and reliability for commuters who travel between South Jersey and Center City.

The rebuilt cars, with new interiors, electronics and heating systems, are more than a year late returning to service from a factory in Hornell, N.Y., because of persistent problems fine-tuning an automatic signal system that gives operating instructions to the trains.

All systems, including new visual and audio station announcements, appeared to work flawlessly Thursday on the first train’s inaugural trip from Woodcrest station in Cherry Hill to the subway stop at 8th and Market streets in Center City.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20150529_Refurbished_rail_cars_finally_roll_on_PATCO.html#5rso0iHdwzqSSrRm.99

Study: Reopening PATCO ‘Ghost Station’ Will Cost $18.5M

The estimated cost to reopen PATCO’s long-shuttered Franklin Square subway station in Old City will be at least $18.5 million, a new study says.

That’s about 50 percent more than transit officials expected.

The study, requested last year by PATCO’s parent Delaware River Port Authority, estimates 1,300 riders would use the station each day, but that nearly all of them would be current riders who now use the 8th and Market Street station.

The DRPA has been considering reopening the “ghost station” beneath Sixth and Race streets for years, and the agency included $500,000 in its current capital budget to reexamine the issue.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20150317_Study__Reopening_PATCO__ghost_station__will_cost__18_5M.html#ClKKXBqGrsKBxEf7.99

Another Delay For New PATCO Cars

PATCO’s long-delayed rebuilt commuter cars won’t be rolled out this month as planned, as continuing glitches in signal systems have forced another delay, PATCO officials said Tuesday.

Last month, PATCO executives had said the first eight of 120 refurbished cars would be put into customer service in February.

But PATCO president John Hanson said Tuesday, “They’re not going to be ready by the end of this month.”

PATCO is withholding millions of dollars in payments to Alstom Transport Inc. while the manufacturer tries to fix the problem, Hanson said.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/20150225_Another_delay_for_new_PATCO_cars.html#EAwF5emuLcpmrJV8.99

New Jersey-To-Philly Commuters Face Rough Summer

A PATCO Speedline train pulls into Woodcrest station, heading towards Philadelphia. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) – Commuters between southern New Jersey and Philadelphia are in for a rough summer.

Work on the tracks and electrical systems on the PATCO Speedline will mean a less frequent schedule for the train line used by 40,000 per day and closed car lanes on the Ben Franklin Bridge, which carries trains – and 100,000 cars daily – over the Delaware River,

“I have no choice but to catch the train because the parking is horrible and expensive over there,” Juanita King, who works as a scheduler at Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania Hospital, said before she hopped on her train recently at Camden’s Ferry Avenue Station, a popular place for park-and-ride customers from Camden and Gloucester counties.

A round-trip ride from there is $4.50 a day and most of the parking is free.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/transportation/20140525_ap_f585186901dd4e639c628853a7f38cd5.html#hVeJsZcKJYLOL6tO.99

Race Street Connector Project Back On Track With $1.1 Million Grant

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Philadelphia County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Walking or biking from Old City to Race Street Pier will become twice as nice later this year, as improvements to the north side of Race Street are set to begin this fall with a new $1.1 million state grant.

The Central Delaware Waterfront Corporation, the quasi-city agency that oversees both the city’s long-range plans for the waterfront and the development of the publicly owned parcels there, opened the south side of the Race Street Connector project more than two years ago.

Improved lighting, landscaping and hardscaping are designed to make traveling from neighborhood to waterfront more obvious and pleasant. The Race Street Connector was the first of a list of connector projects up and down the Central Delaware, all called for in the city’s long-range waterfront vision.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Race_Street_Connector_project_back_on_track_with_1_million_grant.html#fpfCMS41IBdxleUq.99

Pa., N.J. Lawmakers Launch Effort To Rein In Delaware River Port Authority

English: A shot from the Pyramid Club of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge at night. First posted at: Brozzetti Gallery (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Republican legislators in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are planning a coordinated effort to change the Delaware River Port Authority and alter its federal charter.

Bills will be introduced in Harrisburg and Trenton to prohibit economic-development spending by the DRPA, give Pennsylvania’s governor the same veto authority over DRPA actions now held by New Jersey’s governor, and require state Senate confirmation of gubernatorial appointments to the DRPA board in Pennsylvania, as is now done in New Jersey.

The bills would also:

– Require a two-thirds majority of the board to approve any toll increases on the DRPA’s four toll bridges;

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20140326_Pa___N_J__lawmakers_launch_effort_to_rein_in_DRPA.html#b3cTW5MXkkoRHgws.99

New Jersey Raising Tolls 50 Percent – OUCH!

Image via Wikipedia

NEWARK, N.J. – The new year will bring something that’s become old hat for New Jersey residents: more costs associated with driving.

For the second time in three years, toll rates will rise on the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. The latest increases go into effect on New Year’s Day and compute to about 50 percent on both highways.

They come just four months after the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey raised toll rates on bridges and tunnels into New York by 50 percent and five months after the Delaware River Port Authority increased tolls into Philadelphia by 25 percent.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20111231_As_bells_toll_in_the_new_year__N_J__road_tolls_will_rise.html

Getting In And Out Of New York City Just Got More Expensive!

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Not to be outdone by the Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey; the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is also raising bridge, tunnel and PATH fees.  Crossing the Hudson will cost you a lot more in September. People in New Jersey are getting the fuzzy end of the lollipop being sandwiched in the middle!

E-ZPass car tolls will rise from $8 to $9.50, cash tolls will rise from $8 to $12.  This is for peak-time.  By 2015, the E-ZPass car toll will be $12 and the cash toll will be $15.

Single-fare PATH train rates will increase .25 cents per year, over the next four years.

These increases are lower than initially proposed.  Both governors took credit for intervening on the side of the consumer.

The Port Authority has cut staffing to the lowest level in decades and made other improvements to cut costs.  However, both governors have called for an audit of the Port Authority citing fiscal mismanagement as the primary reason for the increases.  Overtime is out of control.

None of the nine appointed commissioners would speak with the press at the end of this morning’s hearing on the higher tolls.  One commissioner had his eyes closed during most of the meeting.  Always a nice touch, to show the public how deeply you care, when a commissioner sleeps through a public hearing.

Governor Corbett Becomes Head Of The Delaware River Port Authority

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It sounds like somebody will be a tad busy for a while.  It is not like Tom Corbett does not already have enough headaches being the newly elected “Govenator” of Pennsylvania but now Tom Corbett is also is Chairman of the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA).

Oddly enough, Governor Corbett nominated himself for Chairman of the DRPA and was unanimously voted in by all 16 commissioners.  I suppose this could be a case of if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.  The DRPA is a hot mess and does need some strong leadership.  It seems the DRPA has strayed from its original intent.  Governor Corbett plans to reign in the scope of the DRPA.  Corbett feels the DRPA should stay out of economic development.  Corbett says the mission of the DRPA is the safe transportation of people across the Delaware River.  (We agree.) 

Corbett pledged to work with New Jersey “Govenator” Chris Christie.  Actually this is no surprise since they have a mutual admiration society going on.  However, that is a good thing since the DRPA certainly needs a leader.  New Jersey and Pennsylvania need to work together on the issues.  The DRPA has been dysfunctional as of late and is in less than satisfactory financial straits.

Let’s hope we get down to business and do what is right by the taxpayers of both states!