Transit officials are doubling down on urging people to avoid commuting into the city during the World Cup if they can.
A Port Authority official is asking New Yorkers to consider working from home once the World Cup starts in June, reiterating comments New Jersey Transit officials made to residents last week.
More than a million visitors are expected to travel to the New York City region this summer for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in the U.S. for the first time since 1994. The influx of soccer fans is expected to crowd bars and restaurants, strain public transit and add pressure to the city’s limited number of public restrooms.
At a press briefing on Thursday, Port Authority Executive Director Kathryn Garcia also discouraged people from relying on ride shares and warned about illegal taxis.
“If you are not attending one of the events, to please, if possible, work from home, because the city will be incredibly congested and so will New Jersey, so the back and forth is just going to be tough,” Garcia said.
New Jersey Transit officials have warned residents to avoid commuting into the office, with games on June 22 and June 30 expected to overlap with rush hour.
The New Jersey Transit section of Penn Station is expected to be closed to non-World Cup travelers four hours before each game and for three hours afterward. Riders will instead have to transfer to PATH trains at Newark Penn Station.
For those traveling to the games, train tickets are expected to cost as much as $150, as Gothamist previously reported.
