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Delaware River Port Authority

Coordinates: 39°56′38″N 75°07′48″W / 39.94397°N 75.13000°W / 39.94397; -75.13000
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey
AbbreviationDRPA
FormationJuly 17, 1951
TypeBi-state authority Congressionally-approved interstate compact entity
HeadquartersOne Port Center
Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
Region served
Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including Philadelphia, Camden, and its surrounding regions
Chairman
Jim Schultz[1]
Chief executive officer
John T. Hanson
Websitedrpa.org

The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), officially the Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is a bi-state agency instrumentality created by a congressionally approved interstate compact between the state governments of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The authority is principally charged to maintain and develop transportation links between the two states with four bridges and a mass transit rail line across the Delaware River. Though the DRPA has "port" in its name, it does not own or operate any ports.

History

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DRPA's flag

In 1919, the Pennsylvania and New Jersey legislatures approved the creation of the Delaware River Bridge Joint Commission. The first meeting was held on December 12, 1919, with Pennsylvania and New Jersey commissioners. On July 1, 1926, the first bridge opened before a crowd of over 25,000 people. It was named the "Delaware River Bridge", and following the ceremony, over 100,000 people participated in the inaugural walk. United States President Calvin Coolidge came to dedicate the bridge the next day. At this time, political support existed for a regional governing body for a port authority and the construction of another bridge and a high-speed rail line. On July 17, 1951, United States President Harry S. Truman signed a bill that created the Delaware River Port Authority. In 1953, construction started on a new bridge to connect South Philadelphia and Gloucester City. In 1955, the existing bridge was renamed Benjamin Franklin Bridge, while the name Walt Whitman Bridge was approved for the new bridge that would open in 1957. By 1966, two more bridges were approved: the Commodore Barry Bridge (opened February 1, 1974) and the Betsy Ross Bridge (opened April 30, 1976). In 1974 and 1990, the Ben Franklin Bridge and the Walt Whitman Bridge carried their one-billionth vehicles.[2]

In 2011, DRPA ceased operating the Philadelphia Cruise Terminal.[3] In 2015, DRPA sold the RiverLink Ferry to the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation and the Cooper's Ferry Partnership.[4]

In 2022, the DRPA installed more than 20 MW of solar panels at its facilities built by TotalEnergies. The Lindenwold, Ashland, Woodcrest, and Ferry Avenue PATCO stations, as well as the Betsy Ross Bridge, Commodore Barry Bridge, and DRPA's headquarters in Camden, have large solar canopies covering their parking lots. These will provide more than half of the DRPA's electricity usage and save it $12 million over a 20-year PPA contract.[5][6][7][8]

Board of Commissioners

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Sixteen commissioners govern the Delaware River Port Authority, eight of whom represent New Jersey and Pennsylvania. All eight New Jersey commissioners are appointed by the governor of New Jersey, and six Pennsylvania commissioners are appointed by the governor of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania treasurer and the Pennsylvania auditor general serve as ex officio commissioners. These two officers are elected officials.

The 16 commissioners also serve as the board of directors for the Port Authority Transit Corporation or PATCO, a DRPA subsidiary.

Facilities

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Bridges

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The DRPA operates and maintains four bridges that cross the Delaware River between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. All four bridges charge a $5 westbound toll. From southwest to northeast, they are:

Public transportation

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PATCO Speedline train at Lindenwold station

Real estate

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Former

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  • AmeriPort Intermodal (Closed rail yard)
  • RiverLink Ferry (now operated by Delaware River Waterfront Corporation)
  • Skylink (aerial tramway, partially built and then abandoned)[9]

Police Department

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A DRPA police jeep

The DRPA Police Department provides police services on all DRPA properties to include all Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) locations and trains.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Former Senior Associate Counsel Named New Chairman of the Delaware River Port Authority" Jensen Toussaint; Philadelphia Today; March 2, 2024; accessed March 20, 2024.
  2. ^ "DRPA History Timeline". Delaware River Port Authority. Archived from the original on March 26, 2009. Retrieved October 25, 2011.
  3. ^ Barna, John (January 6, 2011). "Delaware River Port Authority Ends Cruise Terminal Operation". NJ.com. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  4. ^ Adomaitis, Greg (January 22, 2015). "DRPA Sells RiverLink Ferry to Bi-State Partnership for $300K". NJ.com. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  5. ^ DRPA/PATCO and TotalEnergies Partner on USA's First Solar-Powered High-Speed Rail, retrieved February 17, 2023
  6. ^ Ludt, Billy (October 27, 2022). "Multi-array solar project directly powers interstate commuter train". Solar Power World. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  7. ^ Comegno, Carol. "50,000 solar panels to save DRPA money, provide shade for PATCO speedline parking". Courier-Post. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  8. ^ "Projects: Solar Energy Generation". DRPA. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  9. ^ "Philadelphia, N.J. Tram Still a Dream". USA Today. Associated Press. July 21, 2004. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008.
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39°56′38″N 75°07′48″W / 39.94397°N 75.13000°W / 39.94397; -75.13000