The New Jersey Commuting Rat Race

Along the Northeast Corridor train line between Bensalem and New York City, there are a number of stations with large parking lots or garages. From Princeton Junction down to Bensalem, there are four: Princeton Junction, Hamilton, Trenton, and Bensalem (Cornwells Heights). Here are the parking/commuting conditions:

Princeton Junction – To get a parking space, either establish residency and wait four years for a pass, or get to the unreserved lot before it fills up at 6:30 a.m. After that time, traffic diverts to Hamilton.

Hamilton – Despite not offering Amtrak service (New Jersey transit only), The Hamilton parking lot fills by 8:30. After that time, traffic diverts to Trenton.

Trenton – For commuters holding monthly New jersey Transit rail passes, parking costs $90/month in a seven-story parking garage, which usually fills at least four of its levels on weekdays. Two-thirds of all Trenton commuters appear to be Pennsylvanians who cross the Delaware into New Jersey to park in the garages of Trenton. There are believed to be quite a few hundreds of them.

Bensalem – Parking is free, and there are roughly 800 empty spaces daily in the lot at all times. We are 23 minutes past Princeton Junction, and 11 minutes past Trenton on Amtrak’s run. New construction luxury housing is available within five minutes of the station.