PATCO E-Newsletter - June 2010
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John H. Estey
Chairman
Board of Commissioners
 
Jeffrey L. Nash
Vice Chairman
Board of Commissioners
 
John J. Matheussen
President
PATCO
 
Robert A. Box
General Manager
PATCO
 
Welcome to PATCO E-News!!!!
PATCO E-News is yet another way for PATCO to stay in touch with you and to provide the very best in customer service. Through this monthly communication, we will keep you informed about train service, system improvements, events and happenings in the region and share relevant transit information from a regional and national perspective. You can also stay connected to PATCO throughout the week by following PATCO on Facebook and RidePATCO on Twitter. We'd love to hear from you, so stay in touch.

Ride PATCO to Wawa Welcome America Events
Celebrate your independence (from your car) this Fourth of July and ride PATCO to all of the Wawa Welcome America events. With connections to SEPTA and the Phlash Trolley, PATCO is the easy way to travel to all 11 days of events for Wawa Welcome America. Watch the fireworks on July 3 at Penn's Landing and July 4 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. All shows will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. Click here for a complete schedule of Wawa Welcome America events.
Win Concert Tickets
Attention FREEDOM cardholders! Want a chance to enjoy your favorite artist this summer for free? Click here for your chance to win two free tickets to a concert at the Susquehanna Bank Center located on the Camden Waterfront. Select from various artists ranging from Phish to Brooks & Dunn to Rihanna. Enter to win today!
BFB PaintingDigital Monitors Installed at PATCO Station
What do the New York Times, the City of Philadelphia, LaSalle University and Miracle Whip all have in common? They are among the first to advertise on the newly installed digital monitors at PATCO's 8th & Market Streets Station. The station is equipped with four, 52 inch digital monitors, located at the platform level. The monitors display advertisements as well as weather, PATCO news and information.

The installation is part of an aggressive advertising campaign started in 2008, when PATCO contracted with TITAN, the largest transit advertising company in the North America, to manage its advertising. In 2009, after just one year, PATCO generated $430,000 in advertising revenue up from the $70,000 generated the previous year.
SEPTA Transfer Rate Adjustment
On Thursday, July 1, the cost of a round-trip SEPTA transfer is going up 20 cents to $2.60.  The special round-trip PATCO/SEPTA transfer cost is increasing because of a fare hike implemented by SEPTA. The transfers can be purchased from vending machines in PATCO New Jersey stations.

SEPTA accepts this transfer from an interchange point with PATCO on:
  1. The Market-Frankford Line and Broad Street -Ridge Avenue Subways
  2.  Subway-Surface Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 and 36
  3. Bus Routes C, 2, 9, 12, 21, 23, 27, 32, 33, 38, 42, 44, 47, 47M, 48, 61 and 121
Sign Up to Take Part in the FREEDOM Card Pilot
PATCO's FREEDOM card will soon be more convenient than ever!
In the coming weeks, PATCO will be introducing its new website for managing FREEDOM cards.  Our customers will be able to
  • Set up a web account
  • See a history of their FREEDOM card transactions
  • Register cards for balance protection
  • Change registration (e.g., change of address or phone number)
  • Add value using MasterCard, VISA, and American Express credit cards
  • Set up or change AutoLoad information
  • Notify the Service Center of a lost or defective card.
The Pilot Program will begin early in August and involve a limited number of "test pilots" over a period of approximately six weeks.  
If you are interested in participating, please click here and provide a ranking of the types of transactions you envision exercising.
Haddonfield Craft Festival
Ride PATCO to downtown Haddonfield this July for the Haddonfield Fine Art and Crafts Festival. This nationally ranked festival will take place July 10 from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and July 11 from 12 noon until 5 p.m. Shop for great finds in jewelry, ceramics, art, photography, fashion and more. The festival is located on Kings Highway and Tanner Street. For more information, call 856-216-7253 or visit www.HaddonfieldNJ.org

Public transportation saves fuel and reduces congestion. Americans living in areas served by public transportation save 646 million hours in travel time and 398 million gallons of fuel annually in congestion reduction alone. (APTA.com)