In the last 10 years, New Jersey has invested heavily in its transportation infrastructure, and numerous additional projects are planned or proposed for the next decade. Collectively, these projects have significantly improved accessibility in northern New Jersey. Highway and commuter rail travel times have dropped throughout the region as projects such as Midtown Direct and the completion of Interstate 287 connected networks and provided commuters with new travel choices.
These transportation improvements have done more than change traffic patterns, however; they have spurred residential relocation and enabled economic growth. Shorter commute times have allowed New Jersey residents to move further away from their workplaces, resulting in real estate price spikes in the affected regions. Where commute times have dropped the most, economic output and employment have gone up the most.