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Last night I took the river line from Bordentown to Camden and transferred to the Patco to get to center city Philadelphia. Going to Philadelphia was fine around 6pm. but the trip back seemed much different. I got into Camden at around 11pm but just missed the riverline so I had to wait 30 mins for the next one. It seemed even right in the transportation center, the place transformed from 4 to 5 hours earlier. very "interesting" characters roaming the area.
My question is, how safe is it to transfer at Walter rand on late Saturday night? How about weeknights or rush hour? I gave the area the benefit of the doubt when departing yesterday because it's a major transportation center, but after seeing the atmosphere last night I am now second guessing myself.
In addition, is the riverline itself generally safe up the tracks?
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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Originally Posted by plarser48
Last night I took the river line from Bordentown to Camden and transferred to the Patco to get to center city Philadelphia. Going to Philadelphia was fine around 6pm. but the trip back seemed much different. I got into Camden at around 11pm but just missed the riverline so I had to wait 30 mins for the next one. It seemed even right in the transportation center, the place transformed from 4 to 5 hours earlier. very "interesting" characters roaming the area.
My question is, how safe is it to transfer at Walter rand on late Saturday night? How about weeknights or rush hour? I gave the area the benefit of the doubt when departing yesterday because it's a major transportation center, but after seeing the atmosphere last night I am now second guessing myself.
In addition, is the riverline itself generally safe up the tracks?
thank you.
PATCO is safe. The stations & platforms have video cameras & police w/ dogs are frequently on trains &/or platforms. I can't tell you about the Riverline.
Yeah the patco seemed real safe. Both ways I saw an officer riding aboard. In fact I think itd be fine waiting for a Patco train in Camden going towards Philly because it's in the gated area. I was more unsure about hanging around Walter rand after hours.
Besides the occasional fight. You mostly see suburban kids going to WR to score some heroin from the dealers then leaving. Is this a trip you have to make often?
You hear very little of any issues at the Transportation Center. It is also in Camden's version of the "Green Zone". I wouldn't want to hang out there for an extended period of time or wander around it, but I wouldn't necessarily be afraid to be there at night waiting for a transfer. What can I say is that I would NEVER take my family into that area if it required a late night layover at Walter Rand.
Once you are out of Camden the rest of the ride is pretty uneventful, but the RiverLine has gotten a reputation of allowing crime to spread. Basically the "characters" are using the train to get from Camden and Trenton to the suburban communities, so there is always the chance you will be on the train with some of the "element".
Thanks for your thoughts. Good to get others perspectives. I had a feeling the transportation center was one of the more secure areas and assumed it only gets real bad as you veer off a few blocks.
Once you are out of Camden the rest of the ride is pretty uneventful, but the RiverLine has gotten a reputation of allowing crime to spread. Basically the "characters" are using the train to get from Camden and Trenton to the suburban communities, so there is always the chance you will be on the train with some of the "element".
Hmm, I read an article recently saying that someone somewhere did an analysis of crime and property values pre- and post-Riverline and found that, while property values did initially drop due to the perception that the train would be used the way you described, so far this hasn't actually had the feared effects, and property values are starting to rise again. If I can find the article, I'll come back and post it.
Hmm, I read an article recently saying that someone somewhere did an analysis of crime and property values pre- and post-Riverline and found that, while property values did initially drop due to the perception that the train would be used the way you described, so far this hasn't actually had the feared effects, and property values are starting to rise again. If I can find the article, I'll come back and post it.
I think I had seen the article before. It may not be a statistical phenomenon, but the local police seem to enjoy blaming the RiverLine for things. There were a slew of break-ins in Cinnaminson and Riverton in the past year that were blamed on people riding the RiverLine and then a few cases where police pursued people who had used the train to get away. So, it may not be that it has caused any change in crime statistically, but there is anecdotal evidence that criminals are using it to get around.
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