PATCO E-Newsletter - October 2012
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David Simon
Chairman
Board of Commissioners
 
Jeffrey L. Nash
Vice Chairman
Board of Commissioners
 
John J. Matheussen
President
PATCO
 
John Rink
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.

HOLIDAY SILVER SLEIGH COMING

On December 1, 2012, PATCO will run a decorated holiday train with Santa aboard and other surprises. Stay tuned for the details.
PATCO One-Year Pilot Program

A big "Thank you" for participating in the "Open Payment Pilot Program".  Since September, 2011, thanks to you, Cubic and PATCO have tested use of a general purpose prepaid debit card ("Wave & Pay ANYWHERE") and contactless credit cards.   This pilot program has ended so please be aware of the following:
  • The balance of Transit money on the card must be moved to a FREEDOM Card
  • You can use your Wave & Pay ANYWHERE Visa prepaid card at all merchants where VISA is accepted until December 15, 2012.
  • For a refund check or questions, call 877-373-6777.

For more information and a list of Q & A's on Wave & Pay, go to http://www.ridepatco.org/schedules/waveandpay.html   

A LOVE CONNECTION ON PATCO

A South Jersey couple hopes to journey through life together - on a trip that began when one of them hopped on the wrong train. That train was the PATCO car that Tracey Graeff and two friends boarded late one night in August 2010. The women intended to head home to South Jersey after a night of dancing in Center City. Instead, they were carried west to the end of the line in Philadelphia. That's where they waited in their seats for the train to reverse direction. And that's where David Weiss and two of his friends, who'd been at a Phillies game, entered the same car. Your hunch is correct: These PATCO passengers were about to ride the Love Train. "I saw this great smile," recalled Graeff, 32. "Just a really warm smile." And when Weiss, 33, took the seat in front of Graeff, she basically punched his ticket. "He was wearing a Phillies hat, so I knew he'd been at the game," said Graeff, who works in client services for a financial firm. "I tapped him on the shoulder and I asked, 'Who won?' " Weiss acknowledges he's not usually accosted by fellow PATCO riders. "Fortunately for me, this was a good tap," said Weiss, who chatted with Graeff all the way back to South Jersey. By the end of the ride, Weiss had Graeff's phone number - and a sense of wonder. "I was like, 'Did that really happen?' he said of meeting a stranger on a train. "It definitely was a surreal moment."

Their first date came a week later, and the relationship quickly blossomed. The couple now shares a Cherry Hill home and, by early this year, they had agreed to share a future. All Weiss had to do was surprise his girlfriend with a deeply meaningful marriage proposal. Is that a train whistle I hear? Weiss, who works in health insurance sales, returned to the couple's roots for the big moment. He told Graeff he'd arranged a night out for the couple - dinner with his boss in Philadelphia, then an overnight stay at a friend's home in the city. For convenience, they'd take PATCO. Of course, only the PATCO part was true. So, one night in April, they boarded a train at the Woodcrest stop and, as the cars rumbled toward Westmont, Weiss left his seat to rummage through an overnight bag on the floor. Graeff, so quick to notice his smile on their first encounter, paid no attention. "I was putting my makeup on," she explained. "All of a sudden, I realize he's gone from two knees to one knee. "Then he had the (ring) box open and he said, 'I have to ask you something.' He said, 'Will you spend the rest of your life with me?' "I really wasn't expecting it," she said. "He was cool, calm and collected." Weiss, noting he gets anxiously easily, grades himself more severely.
"I had a good poker face (before the proposal)," he allowed. "But when I put the ring on her finger, my hand started shaking." That doesn't sound like nerves to me. Just a little bit of rough track.

The wedding's set for August 2013.
Story by Jim Walsh


PATCO Lot Repaving Project

We appreciate your patience during this much needed project. These parking lots were last repaved in the late 1980's.

Lindenwold: Lot 3 will tentatively re-open on November 21, 2012. Lot 2- Half the lot is scheduled to close November 21, 2012.

Westmont: Lot S1 is open. Lot N2 is scheduled to tentatively re-open on November 21, 2012. Lot N1 is scheduled to close November 26, 2012.
PATCO Elevator Project

Ferry Avenue: Estimated completion date February 2013

9th/10th and Locust: Estimated completion date March 2013
Take a PATCO ride to Collingswood

Fun for the family awaits in Collingswood on Novemeber 24. Enjoy the Holiday parade from 10:00am until 12:00pm. Next enjoy a free Train show and Stained glass tour at the First Baptist Church on the corner of Frazer and Maple avenues. Festivities will run until 4:00pm. Free cookies, hot chocolate, coffee for all guests and toy trains, Christmse crafts, and activities, too!


Each car gets an oil change once a year of eight gallons.