Elizabeth sits on Newark Bay just south of Newark, surrounded by some of the busiest transportation infrastructure in the country. The New Jersey Turnpike runs along the east side past the port and the airport, I-278 crosses the Goethals Bridge toward Staten Island, and US 1&9 runs north-south through the city toward Newark and Linden. NJ 27 runs southwest toward Rahway, NJ 28 follows Westfield Avenue west toward Roselle Park and Cranford, and NJ 439 crosses the city along North Avenue and Bayway Avenue. Broad Street, Elmora Avenue and Morris Avenue are the main local streets.
The Turnpike interchanges near the airport and port, the Goethals Bridge approach and US 1&9 at rush hour are the usual trouble spots. Container trucks moving between the port and the highways fill the east side around the clock, and a breakdown in that traffic is dangerous. The neighborhoods west of US 1&9 are dense, with tight curbs and sweeping rules on many blocks. Broad Street and the blocks around the train station are busiest at rush hour and on weekend afternoons.
Newark Liberty International Airport sits on the city's northeast edge, and a long row of airport hotels lines the roads nearby. The Elizabeth train station downtown connects to New York and the Jersey Shore on NJ Transit, so many residents commute without a car. Buses run along the main avenues, but most households still drive for errands.
Port Elizabeth and the marine terminal share the waterfront with Port Newark, and the truck traffic they generate breaks up pavement and scatters debris across the east side. That debris collects along the shoulders of US 1&9 and the Turnpike.