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DRPA/PATCO Announces Dates for Public Open Houses for South Jersey to Philadelphia Transit Expansion Study

The Delaware River Port Authority today announced that it will soon begin the first round of public outreach for the Alternative Analysis portion of the South Jersey to Philadelphia Transit Expansion study. The first set of public open houses is scheduled to be held at locations in Gloucester, Cumberland and Camden counties. John J. Matheussen, DRPA’s Chief Executive Officer and the President of PATCO announced that Authority officials and consultants will meet with area residents to update communities on the progress of the study, to educate communities on the Alternative Analysis phase of the study and to seek further input on the alternatives. “Public input is an integral part of this process,” said Matheussen. “From the beginning of this study we made sure that the public was involved and we remain committed to hearing their ideas and comments as the process continues.” Anyone who cannot attend the open houses is invited to learn about the project and provide their input online at PATCO’s website, www.ridepatco.org. Updated information will be posted by November 27, the date of the first public open house. There will be five public open houses in South Jersey. The open houses will have no formal program, and attendees may arrive at any time during the open house hours. Presentation boards with information on the possible New Jersey alternatives will be on display. All open houses will take place between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. The dates and locations are as follows: •Deptford Municipal Building, 1011 Cooper Street, Deptford, NJ, 08096: Tuesday, November 27. •Cumberland Mall, near Value City Court, 3849 S. Delsea Drive, Vineland, NJ, 08360: Wednesday, November 28. •Glassboro Municipal Building, 1 South Main Street, Glassboro, NJ, 08028: Thursday, November 29. •Mary Ethel Costello Elementary School, 520 Cumberland Street, Gloucester City, NJ, 08030: Tuesday, December 4. •Monroe Township Municipal Building, 125 Virginia Avenue, Williamstown, NJ, 08094: Thursday, December 6. Parking is available adjacent to the building. For the PATCO Alternative Analysis, DRPA will study various potential alignments and modes of transportation. In 2005, DRPA completed the first phase of the Transit Expansion project with the development of Southern New Jersey to Philadelphia Transit Corridor Study. Shortly after that, based on public input, DRPA unveiled three suggested routes in New Jersey south from Camden through Gloucester County and into Cumberland County along with two possible routes in Center City Philadelphia. Gloucester and Cumberland counties are some of the fastest growing areas in South Jersey, and congestion in the area points to a need for more quality public transportation. The study includes the area from Camden to northern Cumberland County. 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, and PATCO, the Philadelphia Cruise Terminal and the RiverLink Ferry.

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