DRPA - will the nonsense ever end?

If you live in the Delaware Valley, and read the news, I'm sure you know about the problems at the Delaware River Port Authority. For anyone not familiar, the latest compilation of newspaper articles can be found here:

http://www.dvarp.org/newsonline/

In 1992, the compact between PA and NJ that authorizes the existence of the DRPA was modified to include spending on economic development. The politicians on both sides of the river treated this as a slush fund paid for by tolls on cross-bridge motorists. The DRPA leadership is only accountable to the Governors of NJ and PA, who's attitudes in the past have ranged from indiffernce to actively supporting the money grabbing activities supported by the DRPA Board. Earlier this year, NJ Governor Chris Christie started an initiative to correct the situation.

Recent TV and newspaper articles have shed light on a range of problems, including inappropriate use of toll-free passes, politics based personnel decisions, exhorbitant salary levels, accounting process failures, and the lack of an effective ethics policy, among other issues.

So much money was spent on non-core DRPA activities, as well as failed DRPA projects (anybody remember FastShip?) that DRPA could have been operating a Gloucester County rail line years ago had the funds been spent for that purpose.

Pitiful political leadership all around

Are you implying that in this case the nonsense did end, since years after having paid good money to put up that structure and its Camden twin we paid good money to take them down?

The one on the Philly side still stands. I tried finding a photo of the one on the Camden side that included the sign saying "Future Terminal" but no luck.

I have to pay more attention. I could have sworn they put up and took down both structures. Do you think maybe they didn't put up a Camden one, and I've just been assuming all these years? And apparently I have a blind spot, I hadn't noticed the Philly one for many years. How could I have missed it?
And what's the correct name for those things? I want to say pier, but that's the same word we use for a shipping dock. Tower doesn't really sound appropriate, although one could argue they're monumental.

I was there about a month ago, it's definitely still there.

My daughter asked what it was. I'm pretty sure it was for some kind of cable car gondola to Camden. Right?

Yep, I was a volunteer at the Penn's Landing Trolley when it, or they went up. I thought it weird that tax money was going to such a questionably useful item when we could have used a fraction of what they spent just on building those arial cable car piers to do a fantastic job building up the trolley operation.

Wait till its SEPTA's turn

bikentransit wrote:Wait till its SEPTA's turn

Can't wait. I've got the Dr. Pepper in the 'fridge and I'm making the popcorn right now. It would be quite a show.

Seriously, kudos to Governor Christie to having the will to turn the lights on so we can watch the bugs panic and scurry. DRPA doesn't need a proverbial clean sweep; it needs a sandblasting and a power-washing. The scope of waste referred to is infuriating.

gardendance wrote:I could have sworn they put up and took down both structures. Do you think maybe they didn't put up a Camden one, and I've just been assuming all these years?

The Philly structure is still there. I was under the impression that the Camden one was never built.

Although I'm usually on PATCO I don't think EZ-Pass has done what they promised. The discount for frequent users seems no better than the old stickers my Dad used to stick on his window. The only plus is that it does speed traffic since they open less cash lanes now.

They should merge DRPA and SEPTA. All of this DRPA money could be put to better use and with better oversight (and how often can we say that about SEPTA?) The region's various modes of transportation could be better integrated, and with more funding sources.

Quinn wrote:

gardendance wrote:I could have sworn they put up and took down both structures. Do you think maybe they didn't put up a Camden one, and I've just been assuming all these years?

The Philly structure is still there. I was under the impression that the Camden one was never built.

Yeah, All I remember in Camden was the billboard near Campbell's Field that said "Future home of the Delaware River Tram Terminal" or something like that.

When you get as old as I am you'll have problems remembering what you've seen and what you haven't seen. The second thing that went was my memory and I don't remember what the first thing was.

nickrapak wrote:Yeah, All I remember in Camden was the billboard near Campbell's Field that said "Future home of the Delaware River Tram Terminal" or something like that.

And then Lyle Lanley running out of town!



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marge_vs._the_Monorail