The FIFA World Cup is set to take place in North America, one of the stadiums being MetLife Stadium, temporarily renamed to the New York New Jersey Stadium. It is expected to bring over 5 million people in attendance.
While this sporting event is expected to help boost the economy by $3 billion during the summer, the costs of transportation highlight the potential challenges New Yorkers could face.
New Jersey Transit officials announced that “only 40,000 $150 round-trip tickets will be sold to transport fans to each FIFA World Cup game,” according to CBS News.
With the bus shuttle limiting its tickets and raising prices to $80, seeing who can get tickets for transportation has become a race. This raises concerns about how this will affect workers who are volunteering and working for the tournament.
On the FIFA website, the FAQ section states, “Volunteering-related expenses are not covered by FIFA. Volunteers will need to arrange their own travel to the host country and Host City, as well as accommodation, and cover any other related costs… Information about local transportation during tournament time will be shared with volunteers in due course.”
FIFA has provided no word on transportation for the event, even with the rise in transit ticket pricing. New York, the neighboring state of the tournament, is expected to host 1.2 million tourists.
With hotel room prices increasing during May and especially during tournament dates, New York must plan accordingly. The city must take preventative measures to ensure fans are able to reach Penn Station to take NJ Transit in a safe and timely manner.
According to the MTA website “Depending on the day of week and time of matches, service between 34 Street and 59 Street from the FDR Drive to the West Side Highway may be subject to diversions, reroutes, skipped stops, or cancellations.”
This not only strains fans attending the event but also burdens New Yorkers who are trying to head to work, school or home.
While this tournament was originally expected to boost the economy, the tournament is placing new pressure on the city’s transportation and accessibility.
