City Hall station is an underground

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...

station on the

PATCO Speedline The PATCO Speedline, signed as the Lindenwold Line in Philadelphia and commonly referred to as the PATCO High Speed Line, is a rapid transit route operated by the Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO), connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ...

, operated by the

Delaware River Port Authority 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 ...

. It is located in

Camden, New Jersey Camden is a City (New Jersey), city in Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan region. The city was incorporated on February 13, 1828.Snyder, John P''The Story of ...

, one block from Camden City Hall, after which the station is named, at North 5th and Market Streets. Opened on June 7, 1936, the station is the first eastbound and final westbound station in New Jersey, located just east of the

Benjamin Franklin Bridge The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, originally named the Delaware River Bridge and known locally as the Ben Franklin Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey. Owned and ope ...

which carries trains over the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

. This is one of the few PATCO stations that does not have 24-hour service; the station is closed daily between midnight and 5 am.

History

The station was opened on June 7, 1936, along with 8th & Market and Franklin Square in Philadelphia and

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in Camden, as part of

Bridge Line A bridge line or bridge route or bridge traffic relates to an American rail carrier tasked primarily with moving traffic from one major carrier to another (hence the "bridge" moniker). Bridge lines often were located between two major cities, co ...

rapid transit service. The Bridge Line closed on December 28, 1968, for conversion into the

. The section between Lindenwold and City Hall opened on January 4, 1969, followed a few weeks later by the section between City Hall and Philadelphia on February 14. City Hall is one of the least utilized stations on the PATCO line. Originally constructed with long corridors under 5th Street leading to both Arch Street and Cooper Street, the station featured separate entrances at the north and south corners of Cooper Street and 5th Street. However, due to consistently low ridership, these corridors have been closed. There are three stairways at the northeast, southwest and southeast corners of Market Street and 5th Street. The northeast stairway is designated for emergency use only. The stairway at the southeast corner (inside Roosevelt Park) opened in 2023 as part of a PATCO project to improve accessiblity at the station. An elevator was also added at southeast corner along with an elevator connecting the platform and mezzanine. In August 2022, PATCO discontinued 24-hour service at City Hall station, citing low ridership, safety concerns, and the proximity of Broadway station as factors in the decision.

References

External links

City Hall (PATCO)
PATCO Speedline stations in New Jersey Transportation in Camden, New Jersey Railway stations in the United States opened in 1936 Transit hubs serving New Jersey Buildings and structures in Camden, New Jersey 1936 establishments in New Jersey Railway stations located underground in Pennsylvania {{US-metro-stub