Last Saturday (June 13), after the opening match of the World Cup, tens of thousands of fans from around the world who came to New York and New Jersey to watch the games had to wait for hours to catch a ride back home. The matches held at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Tuesday led to even more traffic congestion, drawing increased attention. Both the Governor of New Jersey and the Mayor of New York urged fans to book transportation tickets in advance, while the traffic chaos during the World Cup sparked criticism from the New Jersey Republican Party.
Official data shows that the first World Cup match held at the New York New Jersey Stadium last Saturday attracted over 80,000 fans, with 21,000 of them taking trains and buses to get there. The match on Tuesday is also expected to draw 80,000 fans. As of Tuesday morning, 12,000 people had purchased bus tickets in New York State, and another 12,000 had bought NJ Transit train tickets in New Jersey. With the stadium only having 3,500 parking spots, it means that the transportation options for an additional 50,000 spectators remain uncertain.
Even popular ride-sharing companies like Uber may struggle to meet the demand. An Uber representative on Monday stated on the X platform that they hope everyone will use public transportation, as “Uber cannot meet the demand on its own.” They announced that they will implement surge pricing and additional fees during peak hours to encourage more people to drive themselves to New Jersey and advised everyone to plan their commutes in advance and choose public transportation whenever possible.
On Tuesday, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill urged everyone to purchase tickets in advance and consider remote work. She said, “Another World Cup match day is coming to New Jersey. If your schedule allows, consider remote work to alleviate peak hour traffic congestion. If you’re heading to the venue, NJ TRANSIT is your best option. Remember to purchase your tickets in advance through the mobile app.”
Noting that most fans only booked their train tickets a few hours in advance, New York City Mayor Mamdani also emphasized the importance of early ticket purchases, saying, “We continue to encourage everyone to buy tickets in advance. There is still excess capacity in the New Jersey public transportation system, so for passengers who have not yet purchased tickets, we will encourage them to do so in this way. I appreciate all the efforts made by city government staff to convey this information.”
A city government spokesperson also mentioned that the city has taken various strategies to promote the best transportation options for round trips to the matches, including media campaigns through multiple briefings, direct interactions with ticket holders, NotifyNYC, paid media campaigns, and traffic signs from the transportation department to inform New Yorkers about traffic relief measures, welcoming volunteer teams, multiple live updates, and informational social media posts.
The transportation in Midtown Manhattan on Tuesday was affected, with several streets near Penn Station closed. Other streets will have restrictions in place that day until 8 p.m.
To accommodate the large number of spectators, a few hours before the match started, NJ Transit trains at Penn Station would only be available for ticket-holding spectators. Non-ticket holders would need to choose alternate routes.
Following the traffic congestion caused by last Saturday’s World Cup match, the New Jersey Republican Party sharply criticized Governor Sherrill for her handling of the chaotic traffic events at the New Jersey Stadium.
“At a moment when New Jersey is on the world stage, the Sherrill administration failed to fulfill its most basic duty: safely and efficiently transporting people,” said Christine Glordano Hanlon, Chairwoman of the New Jersey Republican Party. “Fans from around the world were stranded for hours while state officials boasted about a traffic plan that was clearly inadequate.”
Republicans also pointed out the pricing strategy of the state government, noting that round-trip transportation tickets during the World Cup matches cost as much as $98. Such high prices deterred fans from using public transportation, leading more vehicles to flood the already congested Meadowlands roads and overwhelming ride-sharing services unable to handle such immense pressure.
The Sherrill administration did not publicly respond to the criticisms from the Republican Party.