In New York and New Jersey, up to 30,000 train tickets are still up for grabs, and disruptions in travel are likely to escalate as we approach the World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday. Despite these concerns, Mayor Zoran Mamdani seems unconcerned about a potential crisis.
Many fans want to attend the France-Senegal game at 3 p.m. in East Rutherford, but a round-trip ticket on NJ Transit, which is essential for train travel, costs a steep $98. In New York, buses available for $10 each way have already sold out their limited 12,000 slots.
This situation leaves fans with the expensive train option, a rideshare, or driving, which is complicated by just 3,500 parking spaces.
Yet, neither Mamdani nor his designated “World Cup” czar seems fazed, even though fans struggled to exit after Saturday’s match.
Officials have downplayed the issues, believing that people will rush to buy train tickets last minute, although this strategy backfired during the local opener.
“We’ve seen a good number of ticket holders buying tickets for public transport shortly before the match starts, and we encourage advance purchases,” Mamdani stated at a different event on Monday.
“New Jersey Transit also has additional capacity, so for those who haven’t bought tickets yet, we recommend they do so. We appreciate all efforts from city officials to get the word out,” he added.
The city continues to provide Mamdani’s online “Morning Pitch” briefings, which share updates on traffic and weather.
Approximately 80,000 fans are anticipated for the match, but with only 12,000 bus tickets sold and a similar number for NJ Transit rail, parking spaces are likely to be a limiting factor.
Some of the scrutiny is directed at Maya Handa, Mamdani’s “World Cup czar,” as she has been criticized for highlighting the issue over the weekend.
“They were aware tickets weren’t selling well. They said people would buy last minute,” a source told the Post.
“Their focus was more on goals and branding than on logistics, which led to a disconnect between departments,” the source added.
Handa, who makes a substantial salary of $220,000 as a “strategic initiatives specialist,” played a key role in Mamdani’s campaign.
“It’s concerning to place individuals in such important roles when they lack experience,” commented someone from the Post.
Nonetheless, City Hall insists it’s employing various strategies to encourage fans to utilize trains for the remaining matches.
On Saturday, NJ Transit reported that they brought in over 21,578 fans via bus and train.
The Mamdani administration claims to have disseminated more than 7.5 million notifications in various formats to inform both locals and visitors about World Cup travel options.
To facilitate transport for the games, officials have engaged in media outreach, direct communication with ticket holders, NotifyNYC alerts, and various social media campaigns.
After the chaos following Saturday’s match, Uber tweeted that they were struggling to meet demand, urging attendees to prioritize public transport over rideshares. The company reported around 6,500 fans were transported that day.
Meanwhile, New Jersey officials expected approximately 40,000 to use public transport for the event, but just over half that number attended via bus and train.
Some have suggested that New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill overlooked the train logistics, with high ticket prices discouraging public transport use.
