Mikie Sherrill said New Jersey should not leave commuters holding the bag for World Cup transit costs after reports that NJ Transit tickets from MetLife Stadium to New York Penn Station could top $100 on game days. The governor said her administration inherited an agreement in which FIFA is providing $0 for transportation, setting up a fight over who pays to move tens of thousands of fans.
Sherrill said that leaves New Jersey Transit with a $48 million bill to safely get 40,000 fans to and from every game, even as FIFA is making $11 billion off the tournament and charging up to $10,000 for a single ticket to the final. She said she would not “stick New Jersey's commuters with that tab for years to come,” and added that FIFA should pay for the rides if it wants the event in the state.
The pricing question lands just as MetLife Stadium prepares to host eight matches, including the July 19 final, and transportation plans are already tightening. Penn Station will have severe restrictions on game days, when only game attendees will be allowed into the NJ Transit portion of the Manhattan station, and parking has been banned at MetLife despite thousands of spots in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Current prices from East Rutherford to Penn Station are just under $13, and The Athletic reported there will be no price differences for seniors, children or passengers with disabilities.
Sherrill’s comments also come as other host cities test fan fares of their own. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced $80 tickets from Boston to Gillette Stadium last week, and the Boston Host Committee said Tuesday that Yankee Line bus tickets to Foxborough would cost $95. In New Jersey, lawmakers have proposed a bill to impose surcharges on certain transactions to help pay for special-event preparations, but Sherrill said the state should not use commuters as the fallback when FIFA is the one cashing in.
A final decision on World Cup transportation pricing is expected in the next few days. For now, the question is whether New Jersey will keep pushing FIFA to pay the bill or pass the cost along to riders already facing tighter access and higher fares on one of the state’s biggest sports stages.