Editing Metuchen, New Jersey (section)

==Transportation==
Commuting had become a way of life for Metuchen residents by the start of the 20th century. Daily commuters numbered 400 out of a population of 1,786 by the year 1900. Accessibility to [[New York City]] and New Brunswick enhanced the borough's reputation as a place to live, and the modern suburban ideal of small-town life where tired businessmen could escape the pace of the city grew in popularity.

===Roads and highways===
[[File:2021-06-23 09 36 52 View north along Interstate 287 (Middlesex Freeway) from the overpass for the rail line just south of New Jersey State Route 27 (Lincoln Highway) on the border of Edison Township and Metuchen in Middlesex County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|left|View northbound along I-287 on the south edge of Metuchen]]
{{As of|2010|5}}, the borough had a total of {{convert|47.06|mi}} of roadways, of which {{convert|38.91|mi}} were maintained by the municipality, {{convert|5.73|mi}} by Middlesex County and {{convert|2.42|mi}} by the [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]].<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/mileage_Middlesex.pdf Middlesex County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]], May 2010. Accessed July 24, 2014.</ref>

The biggest change to affect Metuchen between the World Wars was the rise of the automobile. In the 1920s, service stations were built, and the construction of [[U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey|U.S. Route 1]] just south of Metuchen in 1930 diverted traffic away from Middlesex Avenue, helping the borough retain its residential character.

Both [[New Jersey Route 27|Route 27]]<ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/00000027__-.pdf#page=8 Route 27 Straight Line Diagram], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]], updated May 2018. Accessed December 5, 2019.</ref> and [[County Route 531 (New Jersey)|CR 531]]<ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/00000531__-.pdf County Route 531 Straight Line Diagram], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]], updated December 2012. Accessed December 5, 2019.</ref> pass through and intersect at the heart of the borough, while [[Interstate 287]] runs along the southern border. Metuchen also includes portions of [[County Route 501 (New Jersey)|CR 501]],<ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/00000501__-.pdf#page=2 County Route 501 Straight Line Diagram], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]], updated November 2012. Accessed December 5, 2019.</ref> [[List of county routes in Middlesex County, New Jersey|CR 660 and CR 669]].<ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/12000660__-.pdf Middlesex County Route 660 Straight Line Diagram], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]], updated June 2011. Accessed December 5, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/refdata/sldiag/12000669__-.pdf Middlesex County Route 669 Straight Line Diagram], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]], updated June 2011. Accessed December 5, 2019.</ref>

Other limited access roads are nearby, such as the [[New Jersey Turnpike]] ([[Interstate 95 in New Jersey|Interstate 95]]) in surrounding Edison Township and the [[Garden State Parkway]] in [[Woodbridge Township, New Jersey|Woodbridge Township]].<ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/transportation/gis/maps/middlesex.pdf Middlesex County Road Map], [[New Jersey Department of Transportation]]. Accessed December 1, 2019.</ref>

===Public transportation===
The [[Metuchen station]]<ref>[http://www.njtransit.com/rg/rg_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=TrainStationLookupFrom&selStation=84 Metuchen train station], [[NJ Transit]]. Accessed December 1, 2014.</ref> provides service to many destinations along [[NJ Transit]]'s [[Northeast Corridor Line]] between the [[Trenton Transit Center]] and [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|New York Penn Station]].<ref>[http://www.njtransit.com/rg/rg_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=LineDetailsTo&selLine=NEC Northeast Corridor Line] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712073924/http://www.njtransit.com/rg/rg_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=LineDetailsTo&selLine=NEC |date=July 12, 2014 }}, [[NJ Transit]]. Accessed July 29, 2014.</ref>

NJ Transit local bus service is available on the [[810 (New Jersey bus)|810]], [[813 (New Jersey bus)|813]] and [[819 (New Jersey bus)|819]] routes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-11-02 |title=Home - Old Franklin Schoolhouse and Borough Improvement League of Metuchen |url=http://www.boroughimprovementleague.org/ |access-date=2024-10-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102182252/http://www.boroughimprovementleague.org/ |archive-date=November 2, 2021 }}</ref>