Metropark station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Metropark
Metropark station from the parking deck, April 2015
Location	100 Middlesex-Essex Turnpike Iselin, New Jersey United States
Coordinates	40°34′05″N 74°19′47″W / 40.5681°N 74.3298°W / 40.5681; -74.3298
Owned by	New Jersey Transit
Line(s)	Northeast Corridor
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4
Connections	NJ Transit: 48, 801, 802, 803, 804, 805
Construction
Parking	3,615 spaces
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Station code	Amtrak: MET
Fare zone	10 (NJT)
History
Opened	November 14, 1971
Rebuilt	2007–2010 (refurbishment)
Traffic
Passengers (2012)	7,447 (average weekday) (NJT)
Passengers (FY2019)	380,914 annually (Amtrak)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Trenton toward Washington, D.C. Acela Newark Penn toward Boston South Vermonter weekends Newark Penn toward St. Albans New Brunswick toward Harrisburg Keystone Service Newark Airport toward New York New Brunswick toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke Northeast Regional Newark Airport toward Boston South or Springfield New Brunswick One-way operation Crescent Newark Penn toward New York New Brunswick toward Savannah Palmetto Preceding station NJ Transit Following station Metuchen toward Trenton Northeast Corridor Line Rahway toward New York Penn Station
Former services Preceding station Amtrak Following station Trenton toward Washington, D.C. Metroliner Until 2005 Newark Penn toward New York

Metropark station is an intermodal transportation hub on the Northeast Corridor in the Iselin section of Woodbridge Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey that is located 24.6 miles southwest of New York Penn Station. It is owned and operated by NJ Transit and serves Amtrak and NJ Transit's Northeast Corridor Line. NJ Transit runs peak period 'loop' buses in coordination with train schedules.

The station is near the interchange of Route 27 and Garden State Parkway near exits 131 and 132. and has a multi-story parking facility that is open at all times.

The station, built by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and the United States Department of Transportation, opened on November 14, 1971, as Garden State Metropark. It was built as a suburban park-and-ride stop for the then-new high-speed rail Metroliners.

Location

The station is located in the Iselin section of Woodbridge and is one of three stations NJT operates in the township along with Avenel and Woodbridge stations. Metropark's property is set between Middlesex Essex Turnpike and NJ 27 and is located near Iselin's border with the Colonia section of Woodbridge and the township's border with neighboring Edison. It is reached via Exits 131 or 132 of the Garden State Parkway.

History

An Amtrak train at Metropark station in January 1976

Metropark was one of two park-and-ride infill stations proposed in the 1960s for use by the new Metroliners, the other being Capital Beltway in Lanham, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C.. The two stations were originally named Capital Beltway Metropark and Garden State Metropark, though these were shortened to Capital Beltway and Metropark, respectively. Both were conceived as public-private partnerships. Under a plan put forward in late 1968 by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) the state would contribute $648,000 toward the cost of the station, then estimated at $1,400,000.

Amtrak service to Metropark began on November 11, 1971. The new station's cost had increased to $2.6 million, shared by NJDOT and the United States Department of Transportation. It consisted of two 850-foot (260 m) high-level platforms and had 820 parking spaces. The location was right off of the Garden State Parkway to allow for easy access by automobile and a large business park was built next to the station to entice riders. Commuter trains continued to use a station in Iselin, New Jersey. Commuter trains began stopping at Metropark in 1972 and the nearby Iselin station was closed (and, a few years later, Colonia).

The station was renamed Harrison A. Williams Metropark Station in 1979, in recognition of US Senator Williams' (D-NJ) support for its construction. However, the name was removed from the station after his 1980 conviction for bribery and conspiracy in the Abscam scandal.

Renovation

In January 2007 NJ Transit announced a nearly $30 million renovation plan for the station, to be completed by 2010. Reconstruction was completed in summer 2009, and cost $47 million. Climate-controlled shelters and LCD train information systems were installed, platforms and canopies were lengthened and the station building was enlarged as part of the project. New signage was also installed; all of the new signs refer to the station as "Metropark Station".

Available Train Service

The Metropark station is served by New Jersey Transit's Northeast Corridor Line, as well as these Amtrak routes:

• Acela Express
• Keystone Service
• Northeast Regional
• Palmetto
• Vermonter on weekends only

Until 2005 the eastbound Pennsylvanian stopped here also.

Ridership

Amtrak

Amtrak trains skip most stations between Trenton and Newark Penn Station, but most Amtrak trains stop at Metropark despite having to switch to the outside (local) tracks to do so. Pairs of crossovers (interlockings MENLO and ISELIN) before and after the station were added about 1984 to make this easier.

New Jersey Transit

Since 2001 Metropark has been the busiest New Jersey Transit station apart from the city terminals. Many commuters from the South Shore of Staten Island utilize this station to commute to Manhattan. Along with Princeton Junction in 2006, Metropark was the first non-terminal station to have over 7,000 weekday boardings.

Metropark Loop Bus Service

NJ Transit provides rush hour "loop" buses servicing office parks and other areas around Metropark, operated by Academy Express LLC out of their Perth Amboy garage under contract with NJT, and service on NJT 48.

Parking

Metropark has a multi-story parking facility that is open at all times. The parking fee is $5 for up to 12 hours, $7 for up to 16 hours, and $9 for up to 24 hours. Annual, semi-annual, and quarterly parking permits are available for discounted rates ($70.00 per month). Drivers may park in either of the two multi-level parking decks using their proximity card for entry and exit. Daily parking users take a ticket upon entry, which must be paid for before exiting the facility. Several self-service kiosks within the garages allow users to pay their daily parking fee before returning to their vehicle.

• Amtrak – Stations – Metropark

Images for kids

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  An NJT train at Metropark