New Facilities in NJ and MN Enhance Public Transit Services, Benefit Communities

From Lindenwold, NJ, to St. Cloud, MN, transit agencies are making investments that enhance services for rail and bus customers. They are also contributing to economic growth—87 percent of trips on public transit benefit the local economy and every dollar invested in public transit returns five dollars back to the economy.

PATCO Opens New Operations Control Center

The Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) opened a new operations control center in Lindenwold, NJ. The agency called the modernized center a major investment in the future of its operations, safety, and reliability. The center serves as a central hub for monitoring and managing PATCO’s rail operations, which serves 5.9 million riders annually between South Jersey and Philadelphia, PA.

“This facility is the nerve center of the PATCO system,” said General Manager John Rink. “Every train movement, communication, and operational decision runs through this building. This investment strengthens our ability to deliver safe, reliable, and efficient service for our riders every day, while giving our operations team the modern tools and technology needed to keep PATCO trains moving safely and smoothly.”

Construction of the approximately $19.4 million project began in 2023 to replace PATCO’s original operations facility. The project received a New Jersey Leading Capital Construction Project Award from the New Jersey Alliance for Action in 2024.

The new facility brings operations personnel, traffic analysts, train schedulers, and support staff together in one centralized location to improve coordination and communication across departments. The facility includes:

• A modern operations control room for dispatching and rail operations oversight
• Improved communications and monitoring systems
• Redundant systems to support operational resiliency and service continuity

Metro Bus Breaks Ground on New Transit Facility

In St. Cloud, MN, Metro Bus staff and partners gathered to kick-off construction of a new transit facility in the Waite Park. The new facility is part of the agency’s overall system update consisting of new routes and service improvements outlined in its Metro Bus Forward project.

The new facility stems from an evaluation of current Metro Bus services and recommendations, with revised service responding to ridership changes and areas of growth in the state.

Representatives from the Metro Bus Board of Commissioners, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Oertel Architects, and KNB Contracting attended the event. Speaking about the benefits of the new facility, MnDOT Office of Transit and Active Transportation Assistant Office Director Caroline Miller said, “It’s going to make better use of existing resources, offer more services, and ultimately better serve the communities.”

Metro Bus anticipates that the new facility will be completed in 2027, when Metro Bus Forward service changes will be announced.