New Jersey Transit Corporation, marketed as NJ Transit, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the US state of New Jersey, the New York City metropolitan area in New York, and the Philadelphia metro area in Pennsylvania. The NJT covers 5,325 square miles, making it the largest statewide public transit system, and it is the third-largest transport provider in the United States. The NJT began operation on 17 July 1979, created by the state's transportation department. In 2016, it had 11 commuter rail lines, 3 light rail lanes, and 871 bus lines, and an average of 940,877 people use the NJ Transit every weekday.