I have been working in Camden, New Jersey for over 6 months now. I see the worst sections in Camden everyday because the bus I ride cuts right through them. I wish I could see Broadway be revitalized and hope that maybe the Cooper Hospital expansion will make an impact on this street.
Broadway is in such a devastating state of blight, neglect, and a haven for illicit activity. The day I had to walk down Broadway to the transportation center downtown was not pleasant. The sidewalks are more uneven than in Philadelphia and there are big chunks of sidewalk missing in long sections. Litter and weeds were everywhere I looked as I carefully walked forward. Then I was worried about walking through a group of users from the methadone clinic, drug dealers and prostitutes. Even though it was an unpleasant experience, I didn't feel threatened.
Houses and storefronts stand vacant on every block in a ratio of 4:1. The buildings are in such decay that they are crumbling into the sidewalk and trees grow through the roofs. Windows and doors are boarded up making the buildings appear unsightly. The commercial space that has been advertised for lease in the new parking garage for Cooper stands empty. It is a huge space perfect for a small grocery which I would love to see because community access to healthy foods is poor with only one grocery store serving the entire city of Camden.
When residents, business owners, and community groups make themselves visible, I experience feelings of hope. I see business owners sweeping in front of their storefronts sometimes. Or I see a huge pile of leftover bags full of garbage from a clean-up waiting to be picked up. And I hear news and attend public events with community groups and organizations that are steadily working on projects that will effectively change the spirit of the depressed surrounding neighborhood. I wish progress was faster but it's only up to active individuals that have been left alone with such few resources to work with in an area ignored by the city government.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The 'Rabble-Rouser' Article I Submitted to the Courier Post and the Inquirer
I understand that Camden is facing many challenges. However, the public transportation in Camden provides some of the worst service in my experiences and it is alarming. I commute daily by public transportation to Camden from Philadelphia to work. I am currently a volunteer paid a small stipend through a quasi-government program because I want to give back to society. I have avoided purchasing a car for environmental reasons however I have the most grueling commute on public transportation to go a total of seven miles. In my relating my experience, I want to show that there is a serious problem in the public transportation system.
The transportation network between Philadelphia and Camden is very inefficient. My commute is only seven miles, yet I spend three and a half hours a day commuting, use the subway and two buses, and pay over $150 a month on transportation. I use two forms of payment: Septa tokens and a NJ bus pass. However, if I used PATCO, owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), I would have to purchase another pass because it is unbelievably not compatible with Septa or NJ Transit. I have a typical eight-hour day weekly work schedule; so I commute during the peak times of travel. The cost of public transportation between the two cities is about equal to owning and maintaining a car.
Not only do I endure the costly commute, but also I suffer from the poor service of NJ Transit. I have a very long record of complaints filed with NJ Transit since starting this commute between Philadelphia and Camden in September 2007. I have a very precise schedule to make every transfer on time. However, when I arrive at the Camden transportation center every morning, the bus I wait for to transfer to for the last part of my commute, has been repeatedly five to ten minutes late over the last four months. In addition, the bus I take from work back to the transportation center when I commute back home is late every day. I have heard from many residents that late buses are their number one problem even causing individuals to miss doctor’s appointments. I’m not sure if the problem lies with the drivers or the schedule.
However, I have called about one driver in particular. The driver’s behavior is disturbing and affects his driving skills. On occasion, he acts like he is under the influence of a substance, thus he should not be driving. He laughs uproariously for no reason and he idles at green lights until riders prompt him to drive. He talks incoherently to none in particular on the bus. He usually arrives at the transportation center twenty minutes late past the scheduled time making my commute longer.
On Friday, February 15, 2008, it was very apparent he should not be driving public transportation. This driver hit a car four or five blocks away from the transportation center on Broadway Avenue and pulled over to wait for the authorities. The girl behind me said, “That guy (the other car) doesn’t even look like he has insurance,” yet I didn’t understand how she made that assumption. The guy was waiting to pickup his children in his car. However, his car was double-parked in front of the school. Every person got off the bus to walk the rest of the way including me. I was very nervous about walking because I had to walk past Parkside Recovery, the methadone clinic. The clinic attracts derelicts like drug users and prostitutes that probably would not harm me, but openly deal making the walk a very unpleasant experience. However, I did not want to wait for another bus because standing alone amid the activity waiting for a bus that might never come did not seem very practical.
I am trying very hard to work in a city, where generally public transportation makes driving a car inefficient, and also where the city is known for being the most dangerous in the nation. The public transit system needs to improve in the metro area to smoothly connect cities to cities and suburbs, which in turn increases ridership and accelerates job growth. Also, revitalization efforts in Camden are creating a safer urban environment, which will attract workers and talent to the city. But I believe that any of these following instances such as employing unskilled workers due to political favors, unenforced illegal double-parking, or the limited access to public transportation, could be grossly affecting the transit network and the city of Camden. So the question is: who is at fault for the accident?
I knowingly agree with many other riders about the poor service offered by the public transportation providers in the greater metro area. The bus accident demonstrates the neglect of standards and service in public transportation in Camden and it demands a response. In addition, improvements in service between Philadelphia and Camden have to happen through better coordination between Septa, DRPA, and NJ Transit. It is a critical because of the high costs and time exacted from transit riders. The lack of coordination impacts economic growth and affects the livelihoods of city residents. It seems feasible since there are three providers with available resources. Lastly, efforts should be taken to communicate real time arrival because late buses are the biggest complaint from riders.
The transportation network between Philadelphia and Camden is very inefficient. My commute is only seven miles, yet I spend three and a half hours a day commuting, use the subway and two buses, and pay over $150 a month on transportation. I use two forms of payment: Septa tokens and a NJ bus pass. However, if I used PATCO, owned and operated by the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), I would have to purchase another pass because it is unbelievably not compatible with Septa or NJ Transit. I have a typical eight-hour day weekly work schedule; so I commute during the peak times of travel. The cost of public transportation between the two cities is about equal to owning and maintaining a car.
Not only do I endure the costly commute, but also I suffer from the poor service of NJ Transit. I have a very long record of complaints filed with NJ Transit since starting this commute between Philadelphia and Camden in September 2007. I have a very precise schedule to make every transfer on time. However, when I arrive at the Camden transportation center every morning, the bus I wait for to transfer to for the last part of my commute, has been repeatedly five to ten minutes late over the last four months. In addition, the bus I take from work back to the transportation center when I commute back home is late every day. I have heard from many residents that late buses are their number one problem even causing individuals to miss doctor’s appointments. I’m not sure if the problem lies with the drivers or the schedule.
However, I have called about one driver in particular. The driver’s behavior is disturbing and affects his driving skills. On occasion, he acts like he is under the influence of a substance, thus he should not be driving. He laughs uproariously for no reason and he idles at green lights until riders prompt him to drive. He talks incoherently to none in particular on the bus. He usually arrives at the transportation center twenty minutes late past the scheduled time making my commute longer.
On Friday, February 15, 2008, it was very apparent he should not be driving public transportation. This driver hit a car four or five blocks away from the transportation center on Broadway Avenue and pulled over to wait for the authorities. The girl behind me said, “That guy (the other car) doesn’t even look like he has insurance,” yet I didn’t understand how she made that assumption. The guy was waiting to pickup his children in his car. However, his car was double-parked in front of the school. Every person got off the bus to walk the rest of the way including me. I was very nervous about walking because I had to walk past Parkside Recovery, the methadone clinic. The clinic attracts derelicts like drug users and prostitutes that probably would not harm me, but openly deal making the walk a very unpleasant experience. However, I did not want to wait for another bus because standing alone amid the activity waiting for a bus that might never come did not seem very practical.
I am trying very hard to work in a city, where generally public transportation makes driving a car inefficient, and also where the city is known for being the most dangerous in the nation. The public transit system needs to improve in the metro area to smoothly connect cities to cities and suburbs, which in turn increases ridership and accelerates job growth. Also, revitalization efforts in Camden are creating a safer urban environment, which will attract workers and talent to the city. But I believe that any of these following instances such as employing unskilled workers due to political favors, unenforced illegal double-parking, or the limited access to public transportation, could be grossly affecting the transit network and the city of Camden. So the question is: who is at fault for the accident?
I knowingly agree with many other riders about the poor service offered by the public transportation providers in the greater metro area. The bus accident demonstrates the neglect of standards and service in public transportation in Camden and it demands a response. In addition, improvements in service between Philadelphia and Camden have to happen through better coordination between Septa, DRPA, and NJ Transit. It is a critical because of the high costs and time exacted from transit riders. The lack of coordination impacts economic growth and affects the livelihoods of city residents. It seems feasible since there are three providers with available resources. Lastly, efforts should be taken to communicate real time arrival because late buses are the biggest complaint from riders.
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