EXHIBIT 99.1


FRB | WEBER SHANDWICK                                                      NEWS
    | FINANCIAL COMMUNICATIONS




                                                     DAVEL COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
                                                     1001 Lakeside Avenue
                                                     Cleveland, Ohio 44114
                                                     (OTCBB: DAVL.OB)
AT DAVEL COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
John D. Chichester
Chief Executive Officer
 (216) 241-2555


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
- ---------------------
July 24, 2002


           DAVEL COMMUNICATIONS, INC. AND PHONETEL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
               FINALIZE MERGER TRANSACTION AND DEBT RESTRUCTURING

TAMPA, FL & CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 24, 2002 - Davel Communications, Inc. (OTCBB:
DAVL.OB) and PhoneTel Technologies, Inc. (OTCBB: PHTE.OB), the nation's two
leading publicly traded independent payphone service providers with a combined
installed base of approximately 75, 000 payphones, announced today that the
merger transaction between the two companies has been completed and the final
consolidation of their business operations has begun.

Under the Agreement and Plan of Reorganization and Merger PhoneTel has become a
wholly owned subsidiary of Davel. Beginning on July 24, 2002 the combined
companies will trade under the OTCBB symbol: DAVL.OB.

Simultaneously with the closing of the merger, the combined companies exchanged
approximately $254.0 million of debt outstanding under their existing credit
facilities for shares of common stock equaling approximately 91% of Davel's
outstanding equity after the merger, on a fully diluted basis, and entered into
an Amended, Restated and Consolidated Credit Agreement to replace and combine
their existing credit facilities. PhoneTel's and Davel's remaining debt under
the Amended, Restated and Consolidated Credit Agreement aggregates $100 million.

John D. Chichester, Chief Executive Officer of the combined companies said, "We
are all optimistic about the future of Davel. The combination of the two
companies gives us a strong competitive advantage in the payphone service
provider industry and we look forward to taking advantage of new business
opportunities as they present themselves.

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Our two companies have been working diligently together for over a year and the
cost reduction steps we have taken during the course of this time have led to
improving financial results and an expanding market presence. It is our goal and
hope to return to profitability in the near future."

Bruce W. Renard, past President of Davel and a Director of the combined
companies added, "It has been a privilege to serve as President of Davel and to
work with the management of PhoneTel to accomplish our common goal of bringing
the two companies together. I look forward to working with John and his team on
a consulting basis and to serving as a member of the board of directors to
further the going-forward opportunities for Davel."

Founded in 1979, Davel Communications, Inc. is the largest independent payphone
provider in the United States. Headquartered in Cleveland Ohio, Davel operates
in 48 states and the District of Columbia.

Materials included in this document contain "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors that could cause our actual results to be materially different
from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. The factors that could cause actual results of Davel
to differ materially, many of which are beyond the control of Davel include, but
are not limited to, the following: (1) the businesses of Davel and PhoneTel may
not be integrated successfully or such integration may be more difficult,
time-consuming or costly than expected; (2) expected benefits and synergies from
the combination may not be realized within the expected time frame or at all;
(3) revenues following the transaction may be lower than expected; (4) operating
costs, customer loss and business disruption, including, without limitation,
difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers, clients or
suppliers may be greater than expected following the transaction; (5) generating
incremental growth in the customer base of the combined company may be more
costly or difficult than expected; (6) the effects of legislative and regulatory
changes; (7) the tax treatment of the proposed transactions; (8) an inability to
retain necessary authorizations from the FCC and state utility or
telecommunications authorities; (9) an increase in competition from cellular
phone and other wireless products and wireless service providers; (10) the
introduction of new technologies and competitors into the telecommunications
industry; (11) changes in labor, telephone line service, equipment and capital
costs; (12) future acquisitions, strategic partnerships and divestitures; (13)
general business and economic conditions; and (14) other risks described in the
Annual Reports on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001 and other
periodic reports filed by Davel and PhoneTel with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. You are urged to consider statements that include the words "may,"
"will," "would," "could," "should," "believes," "estimates," "projects,"
"potential," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "intends," "continues,"
"forecast," "designed," "goal," or the negative of those words or other
comparable words, to be uncertain and forward-looking. This cautionary statement
applies to all forward-looking statements included in this document.

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