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New PATCO eAlert Service Provides Riders With Up-to-the-Second Transit Information

The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) and The Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) announced an email notification service that will deliver up-to-the-second transit information for riders’ on the go. The new eAlert feature tailors information PATCO riders’ receive to their specific commuting needs. Unlike before, these messages can go either directly to riders electronic hand held devices, to their PCs, or to both. The new eAlerts will be limited to 160 characters and can be easily viewed on a hand held device. Additionally, the messages are time sensitive in nature, and meant to notify riders of an event or service disruption that may affect their commute. PATCO will update subscribers in a second eAlert message when the disruption has been cleared. “We’re putting technology to work to improve customer usability and satisfaction,” said John J. Matheussen, Chief Executive Officer of DRPA and President of PATCO. “Through this initiative we are trying to make PATCO travel even more convenient for our riders and more attractive to potential riders.” Riders can receive PATCO eAlerts for: •Service Disruptions - significant deviations (15 minutes or more) from the published schedule that would add time to riders trips, alter their departure times, or bypass stations. This information will come to subscribers within minutes of the disruption and subscribers will be sent another short message when the disruption has been resolved. Riders may select one or all of the time periods for which you would like to be notified. •Day and Rush Hours (6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.) •Evenings and Owl (7:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m.) •Weekends (Friday 7:00 p.m. - Monday 6:00 a.m.) •Station Maintenance - any scheduled maintenance work that would alter the functionality of a PATCO station or disrupt services in PATCO stations (such as restrooms, elevators, or parking lots). Riders will be sent another short message when the disruption has been resolved. Passengers can sign-up for the eAlert service by visiting PATCO’s website www.ridepatco.org. In addition to eAlerts, DRPA provides E-News notification service. Riders can subscribe to a monthly E-newsletter which provides: press releases, news on special events, and general information. The Delaware River Port Authority is a regional transportation and development agency. DRPA owns and operates the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross bridges, PATCO, the Philadelphia Cruise Terminal at Pier 1 and the RiverLink Ferry.

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