New schedule, signage for PATCO

PATCO Hi-Speedline riders will begin seeing message monitors installed at stations for up-to-the-minute train schedules, travel alerts, weather and Twitter feeds.

All 13 stations in New Jersey and Philadelphia eventually will have LED and LCD screens to display information for passengers as part of a two-phase project expected to cost more than $4.6 million.

Riders have long pleaded for more timely data, Web access and mobile phone service at stations.

Meanwhile, the Delaware River Port Authority announced changes to its PATCO service beginning Feb. 12 that will close one of its two tracks across the Ben Franklin Bridge, causing service gaps from 10 a.m. Thursday through midnight Sunday every week until the end of March.

The bistate agency, which oversees four area bridges and the commuter rail line that runs from Lindenwold into Philadelphia, said in a statement the work was part of an ongoing, $103 million track rehabilitation project that caused similar track closures last year.

Installation of variable message signs and LCD flat screens will begin late next week, PATCO project manager Phil Spinelli announced Thursday at the DRPA operations and maintenance committee meeting.

Replacement of the outdated system likely will begin at the Lindenwold station and proceed west on the rail line toward Philadelphia.

The six other stations in the $3 million first phase are Woodcrest, Haddonfield, Ferry Avenue and Broadway, and 8th and Market, 15th-16th and Locust in Philadelphia. The new system will become operational soon after installation.

The committee on Thursday also recommended the full DRPA board approve a $1.66 million contract to SimplexGrinnel for a second phase covering the six remaining PATCO stations.

"When our new train cars come into service soon the messaging system will be modified so real-time train information can be posted," said PATCO general manager John Rink.

Meanwhile, the upcoming track closures will require trains to run on the north side of the bridge, clearing the south side tracks for work and resulting in periodic gaps in service for up to 26 minutes on Thursday afternoons and all day Fridays.

In addition, express trains will be suspended temporarily on Friday mornings and PATCO will begin local trains at Haddonfield to increase capacity.

Trains will remain on normal schedules from Monday morning's rush hour through Thursday morning's rush. Weekend trains will run on their normal 30-minute schedule.

During the Philadelphia Flower Show, PATCO will run trains every 15 minutes for the show's two weekends, Feb. 28-March 1 and March 7-8.

The full PATCO schedule is online at www.ridepatco.org.

In other matters Thursday, the committee advanced a recommendation for a $734,900 contract with American Bridge Co. of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, for priority repairs to supportive steel below the Betsy Ross Bridge roadway.

Chief engineer Michael Venuto said the 2014 bridge inspection revealed some rust corrosion and one "significant" crack; these conditions need to be addressed to prevent further deterioration but do not pose a safety hazard to bridge users, he added.

The full board meets later this month.

Reach Carol Comegno at (856) 486-2473 or ccomegno@courierpostonline.com