Transportation in New Jersey utilizes a combination of road, rail, air, and water modes. New Jersey is situated between Philadelphia and New York City, two major metropolitan centers of the Boston-Washington megalopolis, making it a regional corridor for transportation. As a result, New Jersey's freeways carry high volumes of interstate traffic and products. The main thoroughfare for long distance travel is the New Jersey Turnpike, the nation's fifth-busiest toll road. The Garden State Parkway connects the state's densely populated north to its southern shore region. New Jersey has the 4th smallest area of U.S. states,Census 2000 Geographic Terms and Concepts, Census 2000 Geography Glossary, U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed July 10, 2007. but its population density of 1,196 persons per sq. mi (462 persons per km2)2010 United States Census causes congestion to be a major issue for motorists.Congestion Buster Task Force: Frequently Asked Questions, New Jersey State Department of Transportation.
New Jersey has a statewide mass transit system, centered on transportation to New York City and Philadelphia. New Jersey Transit, the chief operator of intrastate public transportation, manages three separate light rail systems, eleven commuter rail lines, and a statewide bus system. The Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) links transportation hubs in Manhattan and northeastern New Jersey, while the PATCO Speedline connects downtown Philadelphia to Camden County, New Jersey. Intercity rail is operated by Amtrak along the Northeast Corridor between the major population centers of the Northeastern United States. In addition, New Jersey is home to Newark Liberty International Airport, the nation's fifth-busiest international gateway, and the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, the principal container ship facility of the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Roadways
New Jersey has of roads managed by state, county, and municipal governments and toll road authorities.New Jersey FY 2010-2018 Statewide Capital Investment Strategy (SCIS) The major roadways fall under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), which operates the state highway system. State-owned highways and toll roads consist of 7% of road mileage and 66% of traffic volume. In contrast, county and municipal roads consist of 93% of road mileage and 34% of traffic volume.
New Jersey, along with Oregon, is one of only two states which prohibit customers from pumping gasoline at gas stations. (However, Oregon has recently changed the law, allowing self-service at night time in rural areas.) As a result, all gas stations are either full service or minimum service.
Distinctive features
Jughandles According to the NJDOT, a jughandle is an "at-grade ramp" provided at or between intersections to permit motorists to make indirect left turns and/or U-turns. This design utilizes a setup that requires a motorist to use a ramp off the right lane of the main road in advance of the intersection or beyond the intersection. The NJDOT defines three types of jughandles in its design manual. "Type A" is the standard forward jughandle that intersects with a cross street. With forward ramps, all turning traffic (right and left) exit onto a jughandle ramp to the right. "Type B" is a variant with no cross-street intersected by the jughandle; it curves 90 degrees left to meet the main street, and is only used at a "T" intersection or a U-turn. "Type C" is the standard reverse jughandle; left-turning vehicles pass through the intersection and enter a ramp that loops roughly 270 degrees. Jughandles can cause motorist confusion because turning setups are inconsistent among intersections, and such an alignment is unfamiliar to motorists outside of the northeastern United States.Drivers Fed Up With N.J. Jug Handles , CBS 2, April 9, 2010.
Traffic circles
In the 1920s and 1930s, traffic circles were built throughout the state because they were viewed as an efficient way to move traffic through three or more intersecting roads. As suburban and rural populations grew, the traffic circles became outdated because increased vehicle speed and traffic volume caused them to be more dangerous. Many traffic circles became notorious for having frequent accidents and being confusing, especially for non-locals. Part of the confusion has arisen because a circle is comprised as a series of uncontrolled intersections, so the driver to the right (entering the circle) has the right of way. Since the 1970s, the NJDOT has begun phasing out traffic circles by building a road through the circle, adding traffic signals, adding grade separation, or converting the circle into a modern roundabout.
Right-in/right-out expressways A Right-in/right-out (RIRO) expressway (also called a Jersey freeway) is a partially limited-access divided highway without at-grade intersections. Despite its name, it is not a true freeway because driveways provide direct access to adjacent properties. A RIRO expressway employs interchanges, tight-radius ramps, and right turns to eliminate signalized intersections. To increase safety, RIRO expressways have a continuous median barrier and speed limits are lower than typical freeways. Examples are NJ 4, NJ 17, and NJ 208.
State highways
The NJDOT maintains the state's public road system. Each road is referred to as a Route, and most major highways within New Jersey are under NJDOT jurisdiction (except toll roads). State Routes are signed with the standard circular highway shield. Interstate Highways and U.S. Highways are assigned numbers corresponding to their existing route numbers, as there is no duplication between the systems. With the exception of Interstate Highways, most state highways are arterial roads with at-grade intersections, although several of these, such as NJ 24 and NJ 55, are built to freeway standards.
Interstate Highways
The Interstate Highway System includes of New Jersey's expressways and carries 20 percent of all vehicle travel.New Jersey Interstate Highway System Facts, tripnet.org. Interstate 95, which traverses the full length of the East Coast, is the most heavily traveled roadway in the state. Turnpikes are not included in New Jersey's Interstate Highway network, except for the northern section of the New Jersey Turnpike.
Even-numbered routesOdd-numbered routes Interstate 76 Interstate 676 Interstate 78 Interstate 278 Interstate 80 Interstate 280 Interstate 287 Interstate 95 Interstate 195 Interstate 295
U.S. Highways
The U.S. Highway system is complementary to the Interstate Highway System. New Jersey's U.S. Highways have been gradually replaced by Interstate Highways and toll roads for long-distance travel, although the routes are still important for regional travel. The system is composed of principal arterial roads, which may feature jughandle ramps, interchanges, and traffic circles at major junctions.
Even-numbered routesOdd-numbered routes U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 206 U.S. Route 22 U.S. Route 322 U.S. Route 30 U.S. Route 130 U.S. Route 40 U.S. Route 46 U.S. Route 1 U.S. Route 1 Business U.S. Route 9 U.S. Route 9W U.S. Route 1/9 U.S. Route 1/9 Truck
Toll roads
New Jersey has a system of toll roads maintained by state agencies. Aside from portions of the New Jersey Turnpike designated as I-95 and I-78, none of the toll roads are Interstate Highways due to the restriction of tolled facilities or commercial establishments in the Interstate Highway System. New Jersey's toll roads are the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway. The New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway are maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, and the Atlantic City Expressway is maintained by the South Jersey Transportation Authority. All toll roads have service areas, at which food, gas, and other commercial services are provided. In addition, New Jersey toll roads are assigned internal numbers by NJDOT—the New Jersey Turnpike is 700 (south of the split with I-95), the Garden State Parkway is 444, the Palisades Interstate Parkway (not tolled, but maintained by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission) is 445, and the Atlantic City Expressway is 446.
County routes
All 21 counties in New Jersey have designated county routes. County routes are divided into 500-series routes, which complement the state highway system, and the 600-series routes assigned independently in each county. Each route is usually referred to by its preexisting local name in an address.
Bridges and tunnels
New Jersey has interstate compacts with all three neighboring states. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Delaware River Port Authority (Pennsylvania), the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (Pennsylvania), and the Delaware River and Bay Authority (Delaware) operate nearly all of the bridges and tunnels between other states. Tolls are collected in one direction; it is free to cross into New Jersey, but motorists must pay when exiting the state. The exception to this is the Dingman's Ferry Bridge where tolls are charged both ways.
The following table lists bridges with an Interstate Highway or U.S. Highway route, the four bridges to Philadelphia, and the six crossings to New York City:
Hudson RiverKill Van KullArthur KillGeorge Washington Bridge Lincoln Tunnel Holland TunnelBayonne BridgeGoethals Bridge Outerbridge CrossingDelaware RiverWithin New JerseyMilford–Montague Toll Bridge Delaware Water Gap Toll Bridge Easton–Phillipsburg Toll Bridge Interstate 78 Toll Bridge New Hope–Lambertville Toll Bridge Scudder Falls Bridge Trenton–Morrisville Toll BridgeDelaware River–Turnpike Toll Bridge Tacony–Palmyra Bridge Betsy Ross Bridge Benjamin Franklin Bridge Walt Whitman Bridge Commodore Barry Bridge Delaware Memorial BridgePulaski Skyway Newark Bay Bridge Edison Bridge Driscoll Bridge Basilone Bridge Donald and Morris Goodkind Bridges Great Egg Harbor Bridge
Mass transit
Buses
Public bus service
New Jersey Transit operates 247 bus routes throughout the state with 1785 buses under direct control and 327 buses leased to private operators.NTD figures New Jersey Transit provides local, commuter, and long-distance bus service in all 21 New Jersey counties. Outside of the state, New Jersey Transit has bus lines terminating at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal in Manhattan, and the Greyhound Terminal in Philadelphia. 2 routes, the 196 and 197 terminate in Warwick, New York. New Jersey Transit's Wheels division is operated under contract by private companies using smaller fleets.
Private bus carriers Several private bus companies serve New Jersey. Most of these carriers operate with state funding to offset losses, and state owned buses are provided to these carriers of which Coach USA companies make up the bulk. Other carriers include private charter and tour bus operators that take gamblers from other parts of New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, and Delaware to the casino resorts of Atlantic City. Dollar vans augment other systems in Hudson, eastern Bergen, and Passaic counties.