Trenton NJ payphones (and some Bucks County PA payphones too) - May 13th, 2024

 After getting attacked by a goose on the Delaware Canal Trail, I decided to make a rest stop at Falls Township Community Park near Levittown PA. I know there were PTS payphones there, although they haven't functioned correctly since 2022. There are two payphones, one outside the concession stand which is located by the accessible playground and soccer field, and another at the restrooms of the inaccessible playground. The inaccessible playground payphone hasn't worked since around 2019, while the concession stand payphone had full functionality until early 2022, when the copper line was disconnected. 

But that wasn't the end of that payphone. Later in the year the dial tone was brought back, with a new phone number, (445) 225-9498. It was converted to cellular with T-Mobile and utilizes some 4G LTE ATA. However, it isn't perfect. The mic sensitivity is terrible, and the payphone programming has been reset to default. So, a local call costs a whopping $1.50. And if you try to make a customer service or calling card call, good luck. Looks like the anti-fraud keypad settings have been enabled.

Concession Stand payphone

Inaccessible playground restroom payphone

But around I think January 2024 the service has been cut from the phone. Although I guess it doesn't really matter since it can still complete 911 calls, which I assume was its original intention. But on my recent visit, the line has been brought back. So, if you want to pay $1.50 for a local call, you now can again. 

One good thing about it being defaulted, it now accepts incoming calls. Ring it and sometimes a kid from the playground will run up to it and answer.

Now heading into Trenton NJ, my first stop was the Trenton Transit Center which has nine payphones, eight which are working.

TTC Front Bank

TTC Rear Bank

All of them are PTS, which have been acquired from Verizon long ago. To my surprise, this station isn't that old as construction was completed in 2008. During this time period, maybe two or four would have done the job but Verizon decided that ten was needed (not complaining though). I'm glad that NJ Transit is responsible for these phones, as Amtrak would have ripped them out. 

Heading out, I decided to go around snapping payphones that I already knew were in place. The first one is this roman enclosure outside a Valero gas station

410 Greenwood Ave, Trenton, NJ 08609

I don't know when it was removed, but by 2011 it was gone. It appears it does have live power.

Next stop: checking up on the Roebling Market payphones.

Since my last visit, one of the handsets have been obliterated. These aren't in great shape; you can see that the base of the pedestals has rotted away completely. If it wasn't for being welded onto the I-beam, these would have toppled ages ago.

These were left behind by Jay Dee Telecom, member of IPANY. I don't know when these were disconnected, but I do know they still worked after 2011. FCC records show they went out of business in 2015. I did manage to get the current contact info for Jay Dee; however, he did not get back to me. I was hoping I could give it a shot in bringing these back to life. 

Next payphone: this lonely husk. I don't know when it was abandoned, but it was operational in 2008.

800 S Clinton Ave, Trenton, NJ 08611

After that, I discovered a new-to-me payphone, and to my surprise a T-Comm phone! I've seen two others of their phones near the Camden Aquarium. T-Comm, is a "Phony Bell". They attempt to replicate the Verizon placard styling, even using the Bell logo. If it wasn't for the dead-giveaway Quadrum housing, it could look legit from afar. 

1049 S Clinton Ave, Trenton, NJ 08611

1049 S Clinton Ave, Trenton, NJ 08611

My next payphone stop was to check on this guy, a no-name payphone. Trenton NJ has a lot of no-name payphones, which use the factory placards and has no owner information. This makes it difficult to restore since you can't track down the owner to get the keys from. 

1127 S Clinton Ave, Trenton, NJ 08611

1127 S Clinton Ave, Trenton, NJ 08611

After I went to go check on another payphone with a very nice aluminum pedestal. Unfortunately, another no-name payphone.

430 Emory Ave, Trenton, NJ 08611

This Shell has this lonely husk. Street View shows in 2008 there were four here, and in 2011 it has been replaced by one pedestal, a year later gone. Zooming into the color scheme of the placard, my best guess it could have been T-Comm. 

800 Greenwood Ave, Trenton, NJ 08609

My next stop was to check on three pedestals at one intersection. Before that, I came across this decaying ped. No info on it, even in 2008 it was like this.

1021 E State St, Trenton, NJ 08609

I arrived at the intersection of E State St & N Olden Ave, with these three pedestals nearby.

US Public Phones. Not much is known about them other than being out of business since 2002. Another "Phony Bell", as they try to replicate Bell Atlantic. 

No info.

Behind a liquor store. Payphone removed sometime after 2012.

Nearby I also found this guy at a laundromat, payphone removed after 2012.

558 N Clinton Ave, Trenton, NJ 08638

My next stop was to check on a few JFT Corp payphones, founded by John Tornese. JFT appeared to be a big guy, even having their own website and everything. They called it quits in 2009, but they're still active in the vending biz and ATMs. He also has a tax office in Allentown PA. I tried to reach him on Facebook Messenger with no luck. 

JFT @ 258 Parkway Ave, Ewing Township, NJ 08618

JFT @ 1017 Calhoun St, Trenton, NJ 08638

JFT @ 825 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Trenton, NJ 08638

Also spotted this payphone, left behind by Budtel, they operated in PA and NJ, mostly in Philadelphia, Lower Bucks, and Trenton. I own one of their payphones, which I found on FB Marketplace. They called it quits in 2013. Again, another "Phony Bell", trying to be Bell Atlantic.

102 Kirkbride Ave, Ewing Township, NJ 08638

Next payphone, this guy at a former gas station, now auto repair. I wanted to know who left it behind, which was Integrated Utilities LLC. I can't find much on them, but I do know two other phones of theirs left behind in the Burlington NJ area. 

544 Pennington Ave, Trenton, NJ 08618

Next is another no-name payphone. Why does Trenton have so many of these?

8 S Warren St # A10, Trenton, NJ 08608

And down the block there's a row of more no-name payphones outside Crown Fried Chicken. Streetview shows that these still had their handsets in 2008 even being used, but by 2011 their handsets were severed. I couldn't get a current photo due to a crowd, so I'll throw in this old photo. Nothing has changed. Nice roman enclosures though.

2 N Broad St, Trenton, NJ 08608, January 2022.

2 N Broad St, Trenton, NJ 08608, January 2022.

I wanted to check on more phones, but it was getting dark, and I needed to get home. I also wanted to take a look around the Trenton Library and Capital Center Mall (if they're still even open) to scavenge for any payphones. I also forgot to check on some Newtel's in Trenton and Lower Bucks.

So if you're ever in Trenton NJ and need to make a phone call, head to the TTC.