Traveling through NYC today? Here are your best — and worst — options.
Signage for the FIFA World Cup at Penn Station in Manhattan on June 4. Credit: Bloomberg/Adam Gray
Long Islanders planning to attend a Game 5 watch party in the Knicks’ backyard, or travel through Manhattan on their way to the World Cup in New Jersey on Saturday, should consider several options to get into New York City — and be prepared for all of them to cause headaches.
All of Manhattan is expected to be tuned into the Knicks’ opportunity to bring home their first NBA championship in 53 years. The game will coincide with the first World Cup soccer match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, which thousands of fans are expected to travel to via NJ Transit trains at Penn Station.
As a result, there will be heavy security and access restrictions in and around Penn beginning several hours before the Brazil vs. Morocco match, scheduled to start at 6 p.m. The Long Island Rail Road will run regular weekend service into and out of the station, but for LIRR riders not headed to the World Cup, Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials have recommended using Grand Central Madison, which is expected to be less crowded, even though some World Cup-bound shuttle buses will be operating from nearby 42nd Street.
“I think it's a great alternative,” Dara Goldberg, policy director for the MTA, said of Grand Central Madison. “There will still be stuff happening around Grand Central, smaller scale than, obviously, what New Jersey Transit is planning for and a lot fewer restrictions. … So it's a great place to go.”
Fans headed to lower Manhattan, including to watch parties planned at the Seaport, should consider riding the LIRR to Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, where they can catch connecting subway service downtown, Goldberg said.
The worst option to get into Manhattan on Saturday may be driving. Beyond Saturday being designated by New York City as a Gridlock Alert Day, Goldberg said street closures related to the two big sporting events are forcing even the MTA to detour several bus routes.
“I would personally recommend against that experience,” Goldberg said. “It’s going to be a pretty challenging place to drive into. I would expect a lot of delays and allow a lot of extra time, if that's your preference.”
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
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