“PATCO continues to study security concerns during the owl hours and I am creating a special task force led by Delaware River Port Authority Police Captain George Bollendorf to make recommendations about security on the owl service,” says Delaware River Port Authority CEO and PATCO President John T. Hanson.
As soon as the proposed schedule was announced, there was a social media uproar. Complaints focused on the how the late-night schedule would close Collingswood, Westmont, and Haddonfield stations, creating a 6-mile gap of no late-night service between Camden and Cherry Hill. With no public discussion about these changes, and only a week’s lead time, riders were vocal in their opposition. Mayors of the cities along the route also voiced concerns as well to Hanson.
In response to two high-profile crimes on PATCO trains, a new late-night timetable was announced on May 7 that would have taken effect on May 13. That schedule would have ensured a PATCO police officer would be aboard each train in the overnight hours. There had been no on-board late-night police presence before this.
Under that proposed schedule, there would be six departures in each direction on weekdays between midnight and 4:30 a.m., down from seven. On weekends, when there is an increase in ridership in the late-night hours, the number of departures would remain at seven eastbound from Philadelphia while going down to six westbound from the easternmost station in Lindenwold, which is also home to the agency’s headquarters.
