Two PATCO stations in Camden and four in Philadelphia are getting a new look.  It's all part of a $9.6 million program to improve the concourses in Camden's City Hall Station and the Walter Rand Transportation Center as well as in the stations at 8th and Market and 9th/10th, 12th/13th, and 15th/16th and Locust in Philadelphia.  The concourse improvements at City Hall and 8th and Market were recently completed.

The concourse improvements are designed to keep PATCO as one of the premier transit systems in the country. The improvements include the installation of special flooring, lighting and wall applications. The stations will also be easier to navigate with new signage.  In keeping with the Authority's Green Initiative, the improved lighting will use low energy and very minimal maintenance LED light fixtures.

The remaining four subway stations, one in Camden and three in Philadelphia, should be upgraded by late 2011.

On a recent September morning, PATCO passengers at the Lindenwold Station were greeted with added security. This was not to alarm passengers. PATCO was not under a threat. It was part of a new security effort being done at transit agencies across the country to keep rail service safe and secure. 

This new initiative is being led by a specialized DRPA Police Unit called, VIPR.  VIPR is the acronym for "Visible Intermodal Prevention & Response". VIPR operational planning is a collaborative effort between DPRA/PATCO, the Federal Security Director, the Federal Air Marshal Service & the Transportation Security Administration. VIPR operations provide a visible presence to detect, deter, disrupt and defeat suspicious activity while instilling confidence in the traveling public.

The VIPR unit plans to conduct unannounced searches at various PATCO stations throughout the year.