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,[3] but its population density of 1,196 persons per sq. mi (462 persons per km2)[3][4] causes congestion to be a major issue for motorists.[5]
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,[6] and the Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal, the principal container ship facility of the New York metropolitan area.