Quote:
Originally Posted by Crawford
Trenton, and adjacent Hamilton, are actually two of the busiest stations in the tri-state for Manhattan-bound commuters. It isn't particularly far, Central NJ home prices are relatively cheap, and the trains run fast and express.
It isn't distance, but transit connections, that determine commuter accessibility. Trenton is on the NEC corridor line, so has better commuter connections to Manhattan than some places a few miles west of Manhattan. This is why you see unbroken sprawl all the way to New Haven, while there are still undeveloped tracts not far from Manhattan, in SI and NJ.
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I understand it has to do with commuting patterns, and Mercer County, NJ has slightly higher commuter patterns to North Jersey and NYC (which is obvious, it has more jobs and they have larger employment centers), and yes, Trenton is connected to NYC and North Jersey via NJ Transit commuter lines, and Amtrak. I get all that. Trenton, Hamilton and Princeton DO NOT have unbroken sprawl and connectivity to North Jersey and NYC however.
However, here is the argument for Mercer County (Trenton) being more closely linked to Philadelphia. There is ABSOLUTELY unbroken sprawl between Philadelphia and Trenton, Hamilton and even Princeton. Mercer County, NJ is a part of the Philadelphia Media Market, not the NYC media market. Mercer County, NJ is also a part of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission - in case you didn't know, the Delaware Valley is another name for the Greater Philadelphia Area. Philadelphia is also just as connected via Transit to Trenton and Mercer County as NYC is. That same Amtrak line in Princeton and Trenton, also goes into Philadelphia. SEPTA has two transit lines that run into Trenton. Furthermore, the NJ Transit Riverline runs from Trenton down to Camden, and hits all small cities and towns in between. Mercer County also meets commuter numbers to be a part of the Philadelphia CSA, but the numbers are slightly higher to NYC and North Jersey (for obvious reasons) and therefore, goes to NYC.