Expanding PATCO
Welcome to WWW.PATCOLIGHTRAIL.COM. This website is intended to provide interested visitors with information about a better option for the proposed passenger rail system in Gloucester County, NJ.
This website is not affiliated with the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), the Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO), or NJ Transit.
The Delaware River Port Authority study concerning an expansion of passenger rail service into Gloucester County is located here: GlassboroCamdenLine.com
On Wednesday, February 1, 2012, the DRPA Board Finance Committee approved the contract for an Environmental Impact Study of the Glassboro-Camden Line. See the Gloucester County Times article DRPA panel approves rail study contract for more details.
On Wednesday, October 6, 2010, DRPA announced that it would not build or operate the proposed Diesel Light Rail system in the Camden - Glassboro corridor. The Philadelphia Inquirer article: DRPA won't run Glassboro-Camden rail line - explains the details of this decision. There is no commitment from NJ Transit to become the lead agency for the project.
On Tuesday, November 3, 2009 incumbent NJ Governor Corzine was defeated by the conservative Republican challenger Christopher Christie. Before taking office, Christie anounced a review all State of NJ programs and financial commitments as part of a process to adress the current budget deficit. A "pay-as-you-go" system has been proposed to fund infrastructure projects. The impact of this policy, with respect to a Gloucester County passenger rail system, has yet to be determined.
On Tuesday, May 12, 2009, elected and appointed officials from the State of New Jersey and the Delaware River Port Authority announced the intention to pursue a Diesel Light Rail passenger rail system between Camden and Glassboro, utilizing rail vehicle technology similar to that currently operated on the NJ Transit RiverLine.
The implementation of a Diesel Light Rail system in Gloucester County will require all passengers traveling to and from Philadelphia to transfer to another mode of transportation to cross the Delaware River, increasing travel time and inconvenience. A transfer will have greater negative impact during off-peak inter-state journeys. It also serves to discourage potential passengers who might otherwise ride the system without a transfer.
Mass Transit for Gloucester County
Planning for a passenger rail system involves a wide range of issues to to considered. The planning process includes an evaluation of two major issues:
- The route a passenger rail system would use, and
- The type of sytem (mode of transportation) that would be built.
The resulting conclusions are fundamental in determining the eventual success of any future passenger rail system in Gloucester County.