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Transportation

The good fight for PATCO riders

    by Jason Laughlin
    Published 

When I wrote about the DRPA's rebate program for EZPass users who were regular bridge commuters, it just made sense to reach out to Larry Davis, who has gained some fame though the Twitter feed @PATCOWatchers. The feed, followed by 2,048, keeps track of the good and the bad in PATCO rail service between Jersey and Philly. Davis said he couldn't talk Wednesday because he was staying home with his child who was sick with strep throat. So our entire conversation took place through Twitter's text messaging.

Davis, despite or because of his gadflying, recently became a member of the DRPA's Citizens Advisory Committee. I was curious if that affecting his willingness to criticize the agency. Here's our exchange.

Davis, who lives in Philly but used to take PATCO to work regularly, doesn't begrudge motorists a break, he just thinks rail riders should get the same consideration. He pointed out that a discount on bridge tolls without a similar courtesy for PATCO passengers encourages people to drive rather than use transit, making traffic worse and parking harder in the city.

The discount puts $18 back into the pockets of people who cross the bridges 18 times a month. In essence, it negates the $1 toll increase that too effect in 2011, which raised the toll ot $5.

The DRPA pointed out that rail service wouldn't be solvent without the bridge tolls. They cover about half of PATCO's $52 million operating budget, said John Hanson, the DRPA's CEO. The authority's ability to bond, its' very financial stability would be threatened if fewer people used the bridges. The Ben Franklin, the Commodore Barry, the Walt Whitman and the Betsy Ross, those four bridges are the breadwinners for the DRPA.

Unconvincing, Davis said.

Davis has a petition through his Twitter feed pushing for a commuter discount for train passengers. He's gotten a bit more than 100 signatures, but admits it isn't likely the DRPA will change its mind. Nevertheless, he is perfectly comfortable being a squeaky wheel, despite now having some official standing in the DRPA. Train passengers need a voice, he said, and he's happy to provide it.