Inquirer Editorial: Progress at PATCO

The Delaware River Port Authority made an encouraging move last week to address some of what plagues its PATCO line.

The authority plans to spend $7.5 million to keep elevators and escalators in service, install reliable security cameras, and communicate with long-suffering passengers. None of that qualifies as cutting-edge commuter service, but it would begin to put PATCO back on track. And it's a sign that despite his long association with the troubled agency, the DRPA's new chief executive, John Hanson, intends to make needed changes.

Less hopeful is Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale's puzzling decision to return union boss John Dougherty to the agency's board. While Dougherty sometimes served as a useful agitator in his previous DRPA stint, the auditor's ex officio position is designed to encourage independent, informed oversight. DePasquale should do the job himself or appoint a trusted deputy as his emissary.