Merritt Parkway Tollbooth, circa 1950

Scenic, park-like roadways for carriages, horses, and bicycles led to experiments with urban "parkways" for automobiles. But these roads, intended for pleasure driving, were soon dominated by suburban commuters. One such road was the Merritt Parkway, created in the 1930s to relieve traffic congestion on busy U.S. Route 1 between the New York state line and Milford, Connecticut.