Facelift for PATCO Train Stations

In these tough economic times you don’t expect to hear any organization spending large amounts of money to make things all new and shiny, but that’s what PATCO is doing.

The Delaware River Port Authority is expected to announce a $9.6 million project to upgrade six PATCO Hi-Speedline stations.

The capital improvements will be funded by money initially put aside for economic development.

The DRPA was criticized last year for its economic-development spending after commissioners raised PATCO fares and increased tolls on the authority's four bridges to pay for future capital projects.

There was opposition again this year when $9.5 million in non-transportation projects was approved by the bi-state board.

"What we've decided to do with the remaining economic-development funds is to focus on our core mission -- rail and transit, and waterborne development," Jeffrey Nash, the DRPA's vice chairman and a Camden County freeholder, told the Courier-Post.

DRPA commissioners are expected to introduce the proposal at a meeting today. A final vote is expected at a commission meeting in June.

There are two stations in downtown Camden and four in Center City Philadelphia that are being proposed to get a makeover.

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