A Better Commute and the DRPA

Commuting between Philadelphia and Camden requires you to pay each provider on a different fare system unless you pay cash (which is way more expensive). To take Septa, Patco, and NJ Transit transportation everyday to go between home and work is very expensive and inefficient. There needs to be better coordination and integration between the 3 service providers to give riders an inexpensive and less time consuming option for commuting back and forth.

But now the DRPA is increasing prices for the Septa transfer. The rationale was only because Septa recently increased their fares! Also, I didn't even know there was a transfer.

Monday, June 16, 2008, the cost of a round-trip SEPTA transfer at New Jersey PATCO stations is going up 30 cents to $2.40. The special round-trip PATCO/SEPTA transfer was set to be 50 cents less than two SEPTA tokens and a 2007 SEPTA fare hike increased the price of tokens. The cost of a round-trip SEPTA transfer at New Jersey PATCO stations has been $2.10 since June of 2001. (from the Delaware River Port Authority press release)

According to Camden County Freeholder and DRPA appointed Vice-Chairman Jeffrey Nash, he plans to make significant improvements to Patco. However, let's see an integrated system happen before raising prices! Instead, better coordinating of public transportation in the rest of Camden from the metro region will increase ridership and impact economic growth. Its Patco train does a good job of getting baseball and music fans to the revitalized riverfront easily from the suburbs. Yet, commuters like myself actually pay more than driving to take public transportation into Camden for work.