Haddonfield Patco Station

The next point of interest for our tour is the Haddonfield Patco Station. Haddonfield station is a rapid transit station on the PATCO Lindenwald line that connects Haddonfield to a variety of places from New Jersey to Philadelphia. The Haddonfield Patco Station was opened up in 1969. It had its first successful trip on February 15, 1969, with the first trip from Haddonfield, New Jersey, to Center City, Philadelphia. Back then, the 14.2 mile line carried 21, 200 people per day. The PATCO served as a boost in the economy, for it provided a variety of jobs. Homes, apartment buildings, and businesses were all developed along the PATCO speedline, creating tremendous population growth in both local New Jersey towns and in the city of Philadelphia.

The Haddonfield PATCO station is quite literally a barrier. A barrier from Camden, New Jersey, the murder capital of the country. What appears to be a mode of transportation acts as a gate from Camden. When Camden was a desirable location, the most frequent stop from the PATCO station was from Haddonfield, NJ to Camden, NJ. A mere 8 miles away, Camden was a 2 minute ride on the PATCO station. Now, the PATCO station stops are as followed:

1) 15th/16th & Locust St. (Philadelphia)

2) 12th/13th & Locust St. (Philadelphia)

3) 9th/10th & Locust St. (Philadelphia)

4) 8th & Market St. (Philadelphia)

5) City Hall (NJ)

6) Broadway (NJ)

7) Ferry Avenue (NJ)

8) Westmont (NJ)

9) Haddonfield (NJ)

10) Woodcrest (NJ)

11) Ashland (NJ)

12) Lindenwold (NJ)

What is missing? Camden, NJ. Although the Haddonfield PATCO station gives the illusion that it is connecting Haddonfield to other places, it is only connecting Haddonfield to equally as desirable places, places that could not tarnish Haddonfield's utopian feel. It would be a shame for Haddonfield to be so closely related to Camden: ridded with murder, drugs, and crime. Most residents in Camden can not afford to get to Haddonfield without public transportation. So removing any possible public transportation is the most acceptable way to put up a wall between beautiful Haddonfield, and dangerous Camden.