Delaware River Port Authority, ADA Accessibility Improvements

Burns partnered with DRPA to lead engineering design and construction monitoring for station improvements along the Port Authority Transit Corporation (PATCO) Speedline, achieving full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

ADA Title II guarantees equal access to public transportation systems for people with disabilities. Though transit facilities built before the 1990 federal law’s passage are exempt from ADA requirements, DRPA made it a top priority to ensure accessibility for passengers traveling throughout all 13 of the PATCO Speedline’s circa-1969 stations.

ADA compliance necessitated the addition of eight transit-grade elevators at the following stations:

• Haddonfield
• Collingswood
• Westmont
• Ashland
• Camden City Hall
• 12^th/13^th & Locust Street

Beyond elevator installations, ADA improvements included:

• Exterior ramp railings
• Concourse extensions
• Fare gate modifications
• Interior platform stair and ramp modifications
• ADA wayfinding signage

To deliver the $32-million project, Burns overcame significant design and construction challenges:

• Addition of two elevators at Downtown Philadelphia’s 12^th/13^th & Locust Street Station and at Camden City Hall Station, connecting travelers from street level to the concourse and from concourse to the train platform, all within congested urban footprints.
• Demolition and reconfiguration of major station components and critical infrastructure.
• Relocation of sensitive utilities and installation of a shallow pit elevator at 12^th/13^th & Locust Street Station.
• Incorporation of a massive concrete foundation, possibly dating back to the old Camden County Courthouse, and application of a complex waterproofing tie-in for the stairway and elevator additions at the Camden City Hall Station
• Coordination with adjacent stakeholders, including the City of Philadelphia, City of Camden, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, New Jersey Transit, and Historical Society of Philadelphia.

Burns provided engineering design for the following components:

• Structural
• Mechanical, electrical and plumbing
• Fire protection and fire alarm systems
• Elevator technology selection and installation

Construction monitoring services included oversight of:

• Elevator installation
• Fire alarm system installation
• Elevator inspection

Construction completed in 2023. This project earned DRPA the 2020 New Jersey’s Leading Infrastructure Projects Award from the New Jersey Alliance for Action.