Manhattan's 42nd Street to be bus-only on World Cup match days

The city will convert 42nd Street into a bus-only corridor and restrict car traffic on surrounding Midtown streets during World Cup match days. Officials expect about 1.2 million visitors to arrive in the New York and New Jersey area and urged locals to avoid driving through Midtown on eight MetLife Stadium match days in June and July. World Cup ticketholders will be directed to use NJ Transit trains from Penn Station or shuttle buses from Grand Central Terminal, Columbus Circle, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Cars will be banned on 42nd Street for several hours before and after matches, with additional bus-only restrictions on West 40th and West 41st Streets. Sixth Avenue will also gain temporary bus-only lanes, and Penn Station entry will require ticket validation with a controlled queue outside the station.

"The city will convert 42nd Street into a bus-only corridor and block traffic on streets around Penn Station during World Cup match days to prevent congestion, the Mamdani administration announced Friday. City officials detailed their plan to handle the influx of an estimated 1.2 million visitors into the New York and New Jersey area, urging locals to avoid driving through Midtown on eight match days at MetLife Stadium in June and July."

"There will be two preferred ways for World Cup ticketholders to get to the stadium: by taking $98 round-trip rides on NJ Transit trains from Penn Station, or $20 shuttle buses that make pickups at Grand Central Terminal, Columbus Circle and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Under the new plan, 42nd Street between First and 12th avenues will only serve World Cup shuttles and MTA buses."

"Cars will be banned along the street for five hours before a match and three hours after. The car ban will be extended to six hours before the championship match on July 19. West 40th Street between 8th and 11th avenues and West 41st Street between 8th and 10th avenues will also be open only to buses. The Mamdani administration said this will allow shuttle buses to have an express, nonstop route to the games."

"The city will also temporarily convert the two easternmost traffic lanes along Sixth Avenue between 42nd and 59th Streets to bus-only lanes. Officials said the move will speed up traffic and prevent crowding around Midtown. At Penn Station, fans headed to MetLife will have to validate their World Cup and NJ Transit tickets before entering the train hall. The city will create a queue outside the station up to four hours before each match, blocking off traffic at 33rd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues and 32nd Street between Sixth and Seventh a"

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