New Jersey Interagency Transportation After Action Report (AAR) at NJNY Stadium - FIFA World Cup Operations

Event Overview

Venue: NJNY Stadium Prepared By: NJ TRANSIT Report Date: 07/21/2026

Executive Summary

Under the leadership of Governor Mikie Sherrill, NJ TRANSIT successfully supported match- day transportation operations for all eight FIFA World Cup 2026 matches hosted at NJNY Stadium, delivering mobility services equivalent to eight Super Bowls within one 39-day period. Each match presented unique operational conditions, requiring dynamic interagency coordination, alignment and tailored mobility planning among transportation agencies such as NJ TRANSIT, New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA), New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and Amtrak. Unlike traditional stadium events and major concerts, which are typically concentrated on weekends, the FIFA matches occurred across varying days of the week and were influenced by differing weather conditions, event start times, audience profiles, regional events, and interactions with regular weekday commuter demand. The overall success of the operation was driven by four key factors:

1. Record Ridership Volume – NJ TRANSIT moved the largest number of event- related passengers to and from the stadium in the shortest concentrated time period in the agency’s history, over 370,000.

2. Operational Efficiency – The transportation system achieved the fastest large- volume passenger movement operation ever conducted at this scale, eight Super Bowls within one 39-day period.

3. Regional Mobility Integration – NJ TRANSIT services were a critical component of New Jersey’s comprehensive regional mobility strategy, supporting the successful movement of visitors, residents, and stakeholders throughout the tournament. The collective efforts of NJ TRANSIT, NJTA, NJDOT, PANYNJ and Amtrak were the first of its kind and instrumental to the successful delivery of transportation for FIFA World Cup 2026.

4. Security Coordination – NJ TRANSIT Police Department led and was part of a well- coordinated security plan. The effective implementation of a security perimeter in coordination with the New Jersey State Police, Amtrak Police Department, New York City Police Department and federal, county and local security establishments made the mobility of fans to and from the stadium, Secaucus, Penn Station New York and other points on the NJ TRANSIT system operationally efficient.

The successful execution of the New Jersey FIFA 2026 Mobility Plan was made possible through extraordinary preparation and collaboration across New Jersey’s transportation partners and with the New York New Jersey Host Committee. The event represented the largest interagency coordination effort undertaken for any event in the state’s history. Despite evolving operational conditions and shifting mobility priorities throughout the tournament, New Jersey’s integrated mobility plan proved effective.

Analysis of operational and sales data across the eight matches demonstrated that pricing was not a primary factor influencing travel mode selection. Patron demand remained elastic across available transportation options, and match-related transportation ticket sales between the Host Committee and NJ TRANSIT were aligned in advance of each match. Combined transit ridership of NJ TRANSIT and Host Committee shuttles remained consistent across the eight matches as Host Committee capacities fluctuated. Additionally, American Dream parking inventory did not sell out at any event, and FIFA Hospitality parking remained underutilized throughout the tournament. Traffic and mode-share data indicated that travel demand consistently reached equilibrium across available transportation modes, demonstrating that match attendees had sufficient travel choices and selected modes based on personal preference despite varying price points.

Based on the collected performance metrics, NJ TRANSIT believes future events at the stadium should not require transportation commitments exceeding 20,000 passengers within a two-hour operating window. The stadium’s suburban location and an anchored regional suburban mall with a combined 28,000 parking spaces, will continue to generate substantial private vehicle demand and associated parking requirements. As such, the area is not expected to evolve into a truly transit-oriented environment, and automobile access will remain a primary mode of travel. While transit will remain a travel option, the continued car-centric nature of this facility and the characteristics of the regional travel market make a predominantly mass-transit-based operation unlikely. Accordingly, NJ TRANSIT can continue supporting future stadium events through existing infrastructure, with financial planning and operating budgets aligned to a proven demand threshold up to approximately 20,000 passengers. Dedicated bus operations should be reserved for rail contingencies and deployed at NJ TRANSIT’s discretion as needed.

Overall, service delivery successfully met all transportation commitments and effectively moved customers within established service windows. NJ TRANSIT transported all ticketed passengers well within the agreed-upon performance targets. However, deviations from the approved mobility plan reduced operational efficiency, affected traffic flow, and limited the achievement of intended mode-distribution objectives.

Furthermore, NJ TRANSIT successfully executed its mobility plan throughout the tournament despite a series of significant operational challenges. During Match 41 on June 22, severe weather conditions required the rapid implementation of contingency measures to safely and efficiently move customers from the venue. NJ TRANSIT also effectively responded to extreme heat conditions by activating crowd-safety protocols and operational adjustments to support the large volumes of attendees. In addition, NJ TRANSIT maintained successful event operations during Match 67 on June 27, Match 77 on June 30, and Match 91 on July 5, despite multiple rail service disruptions caused by switch failures, signal issues, rail buckling, and overhead power line incidents following extreme weather.

These challenges resulted in delays to normal rail operations; however, NJ TRANSIT's proactive planning and coordinated response with Amtrak enabled the seamless deployment of supplemental bus services and the strategic pre-positioning of maintenance personnel and equipment. This preparedness allowed for rapid incident response, minimized customer impacts, and ensured the continued success of event transportation operations. The agency’s ability to adapt to evolving conditions while maintaining safe and reliable service demonstrated exceptional operational resilience, coordination, and commitment to the customer experience.

While these challenges did not impact NJ TRANSIT’s ability to deliver on its transportation commitments, they identified opportunities to further strengthen interagency coordination, and roadway management for future major events. The lessons learned from FIFA World Cup 2026 provide a strong foundation for continued improvement and reinforce the effectiveness of New Jersey’s regional mobility strategy for large-scale events. Ridership data, strengths, successes, and lessons learned are provided herein.

Ridership & Service Data

1. As committed in the Mobility Plan, NJ TRANSIT met the goal of moving 20,000 passengers per hour.

2. Pedestrian volumes between the stadium and American Dream were higher than FIFA projections by more than 80% largely due to American Dream permitting attendee drop-offs on-site. This contributed to increased pedestrian activity, traffic congestion, and crowding both before and after matches. Any future mobility plan for large events must include American Dream’s parking facilities in it.

3. FIFA Stadium Hospitality parking counts were not provided. However, with the exception of the FIFA Final on July 19th, the available data indicates that fewer than 30% of the designated parking spaces were utilized. The underutilization of FIFA Stadium Hospitality parking in Lots J and L may have contributed to increased rideshare usage and passenger drop-off activity at American Dream.

4. The designated rideshare facility at the Racetrack was relatively underutilized during ingress, potentially contributing to increased drop-off activity at American Dream and higher-than-anticipated pedestrian volumes. The insignificant penalty for bypassing the geofenced rideshare pick-up and drop-off location appeared to be widely disregarded, further contributing to activity at American Dream. As a result, during egress, the rideshare demand exceeded projections by approximately 50% and the egress operations experienced substantial rideshare queues and vehicle backups, resulting in prolonged passenger wait times.

5. These variances explain the notable shift in mode choices as outlined in the table above.

Strengths / Successes

1. As committed in the NJ TRANSIT Mobility Plan, NJ TRANSIT successfully transported record high volumes (averaged 24,000 people per hour). This was possible by the FTA investment of the NJ TRANSIT transitway and deployable bus terminal augmenting the NJ TRANSIT Meadowlands Rail Service for mass volume movements despite operational hurdles including inclement weather, a heat wave, rail interruptions, American 250th celebrations, NY Knicks playoffs, and other significant events at Madison Square Garden.

2. NJ TRANSIT collaborated, planned, and executed a multi-agency transportation strategy with NJTA, NJDOT, PANYNJ and Amtrak with proven results.

3. Public safety and operations were effectively managed between Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT Police Departments, including queue management and platform crowd control operations.

4. Effective interagency law enforcement (NJ TRANSIT Police, Federal, State, Counties, and Local Police) coordination and implementations of protocols was foundational to ensuring the logistics of the NJ TRANSIT operations. Coordination with venue security was executed without incident.

5. Operations maintained flexibility in accommodating passengers who shifted modes between ingress and egress.

6. Issuance of wristbands mitigated historic ingress-egress imbalances and ensured revenue capture.

7. The use of more than 700 ambassadors from NJ TRANSIT, NJDOT and NJTA (speaking more than 40 different languages) staffing more than 4,000 shifts, in addition to effective multi-lingual signage specific to the participating countries, to help fans navigate the system made the travel experience easy and efficient, ensuring that a trip from New York Penn station to the stadium took on average 35 minutes.