As the New York/New Jersey area prepares to host the upcoming FIFA World Cup, significant regional gridlock and public transit restrictions will heavily impact faculty and staff commuting between New York and New Jersey.
Key Guidance: Remote Work and Schedule Flexibility
To ensure operational continuity and minimize commuting hardships, remote work or paid time off may be used where appropriate and consistent with University policy and applicable collective bargaining agreements.
For positions that require an on-site presence, managers should consider adjusting schedules, such as approving earlier departures or later return commutes, to help staff avoid peak gridlock windows.
Affected Weekday Match Schedule
Please focus planning efforts entirely on the following four dates:
- Tuesday, June 16: 3 p.m. match start time
- Monday, June 22: 8 p.m. match start time (Expected heaviest impact, coinciding with evening rush hour)
- Thursday, June 25: 4 p.m. match start time
- Tuesday, June 30: 5 p.m. match start time
Expected Travel & Transit Impacts
Beginning four hours prior to each match start time, the following regional disruptions will occur:
- NJ Transit Rail Restrictions: There will be no outbound NJ Transit rail service from Penn Station New York for regular commuters. Service during this window is restricted exclusively to World Cup ticket holders. Trains traveling into New York will operate normally.
- Alternative Transit Crowding: Regular commuters will need to divert to alternative routes (including PATH trains from 33rd Street or NJ Transit buses from Port Authority), leading to extreme volume and delays at major hubs.
- Highway Gridlock: Expect heavy traffic congestion and major delays on all primary highways, bridges, and tunnels between New York and New Jersey.
Faculty and staff who rely on public transit routes are advised to monitor live transit alerts via NJ Transit and the MTA.
