NJ Transit is dropping the price of its round-trip ticket to eight World Cup matches taking place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford to $105, from $150, the agency said on Thursday, May 7.
The disputed $150 ticket price announced in April received both praise and vitriol, sparking reaction around the world.
Normally, the round trip costs $12.90 — a heavily subsidized rate — to shuttle people to MetLife for events, but officials said that because of the added security, labor and operations costs to host World Cup matches, the price was decided based on the cost of running the service.
“Since the beginning, [Gov. Mikie Sherrill] has said that commuters in New Jersey, taxpayers, would not bear the financial cost for us to provide transportation, but she has also directed me to figure out ways to lower the price of the ticket through private sponsors and other sources, and I’m pleased to note that at the governor’s direction we were able to lower the cost by at least $45, or 30%,” Kris Kolluri, NJ Transit’s CEO and president, told NorthJersey.com.
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“Governor Sherrill has been clear that FIFA should contribute to transport its fans to World Cup games,” said Steve Sigmund, a Sherrill spokesman. “Since it hasn’t, she’s said that she directed NJ Transit to seek private and non-taxpayer dollars to significantly reduce the fare.
“The governor appreciates all the companies that have already stepped up to lower the costs for ticket holders,” Sigmund said. “She will continue to ensure the World Cup is an experience that benefits fans and all New Jerseyans.”
In past comments, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said it’s not up to FIFA — which is estimated to make at least $11 billion in profit from the tournament — to pay for public services and that the initial agreement signed in 2018 called for free public transportation.
That agreement was signed by representatives from former Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration. The free public transportation requirement was walked back after NorthJersey.com reported on it and was amended to say the service would be provided “at cost.”
Murphy’s wife, Tammy Murphy, still serves as the board chair for the regional host committee in charge of raising money to help promote fan events, offset local costs such as transportation, and plan the tournament.
The Garden State has already thrown more than $307 million in taxpayer dollars at the five-week tournament to provide a loan for the host committee, prepare the field and stadium area to FIFA specifications, and build a temporary bus terminal and pedestrian bridge — and has received no aid from New York City, the region’s host partner with New Jersey.
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The war of words over NJ Transit’s shuttle price — which has fed an already healthy rivalry between the states on either side of the Hudson River — even led to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s erroneous boast that “New York isn’t just hosting the World Cup. New York is the World Cup.” Sherrill’s social media account issued a rebuttal saying that in fact the eight matches will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
NJ Transit will be selling 40,000 stadium shuttle tickets for match-goers, and they go on sale May 13. More details will be available next week.
In addition to NJ Transit’s shuttle, which will be a mix of trains and buses between Secaucus Junction station and MetLife, there are 10,000 round-trip tickets available for $80 for charter buses coordinated by the host committee.
Those are on sale now. The shuttle will depart from three locations, near Grand Central Terminal, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine in Clifton.