Super Bowl: More train problems as announcer asks fans to stay in MetLife Stadium

[brooklynite]

Source: Star-Ledger

EAST RUTHERFORD — Super Bowl fans at MetLife Stadium are being told to stay in the stadium due to overcrowding on the NJ Transit train platforms.

A public address announcer at the stadium announced fans "should remain in the stadium due to the congestion on the platforms."

...snip...

As the crowd continued to swell shortly before 11 p.m., an announcement informed departing fans they would face a wait of about an hour on the train platform and they were urged to go to the Chase Club, an indoor stadium lounge. Many people appeared to head that way.

...snip...

The line for the train -- about 50 people wide and stretching the equivalent of two blocks -- frustrated 60-year-old Ken Magnin so much he abandoned it.


Read more: http://www.nj.com/super-bowl/index.ssf/2014/02/super_bowl_more_train_problems_as_announcer_asks_fans_to_stay_in_metlife_stadium.html#incart_maj-story-1

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[pnwmom]

1. Which Christie appointee is causing this traffic jam? And WHY?????

And don't they have any busses in N.J.?

[Dawson Leery]

3. LOL!

[ReRe]

7. Oops...

... there was a train issue with Christie. Remember, someone was responsible for moving a large number of locomotives before Sandy hit and it wasn't done? Or they were moved, but to a low-lying area? (Can't remember which.) The number 30 sticks in my mind. But surely, between NY and NJ, they could have pooled enough trains to be able to take care of transporting that many people.

[pnwmom]

8. I'm not sure they had enough tracks. . . but they sure blew it not planning for this crowd.nt

[ReRe]

15. Seriously...

... they probably had shut down all the concession booths. They should have left some open near the entrance to the railway platform and exits where they board the buses. I would have even provided some entertainment, maybe rerun the game on the jumbo trons for the Seattle fans, or music at least. Hospitality is the first base in handling that large of a crowd. As much as they had to pay to get in, they deserve to be taken care of until they can get on their way.

[Javaman]

26. maybe christie was angry at someone and needed to do a "train study"...

LOL

[Maeve]

27. Am I the only one thinking of the great defense of a dictator--"at least the trains ran on time!"

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

2. I'm sorry, but anyone who didn't expect this is an idiot

Trying to get on public trans outside a major arena after any sporting event or concert is always damn near impossible.

[brooklynite]

5. Much as I'd like to blame Christie...

New Jersey Transit planned for 1/3 the crowd...because that's what they were told to expect. The organizers said 8-12,000 traveling by train and 50,000 by chartered bus.

[pnwmom]

10. Who told them that?

[brooklynite]

11. The Super Bowl organizers...

...we were told 12,000 was the rail target for the past six months.

[Beacool]

25. Thank you for clarifying that point.

Christie is a jerk, but that's a separate subject. I'm tired of all the NJ snide comments that always circulate at the mention of the state.

[LeftyMom]

20. It's not really a problem in the Baeria, but we're postseason pros. ;)

Getting out of the parking lot at Candlestick always took forever, but catching a bus from Candlestick was quick and getting MUNI (which is a quick transfer to BART,) CalTrain or the Ferry from AT&T is easier still.

Not sure what the situation is at the new stadium in Santa Clara, I'm told CalTrain stops right there.

Now getting out of any old game that overlaps with Pride or Fleet Week? That's another story.

edit: I just remembered that Chokeland exists. The Coliseum is on BART.

[TexasTowelie]

4. This won't go well.

These are the people that have money to afford to go to the Super Bowl. If it were any other crowd, then no one would care.

[JI7]

6. how much do tickets cost ?

how much are the cheapest ones ?

[brooklynite]

9. $10.50 R/T vs $50 for the charter buses and $150 for a parking pass (plus tolls)

What's throwing us is that 12,000-15,000 of the train customers should have been in a hotel package that included bus service.

[rocktivity]

18. Well, it serves them right for charging so damn much.

Of course the train looked more attractive, especially for those in the hotels.


rocktivity

[TexasTowelie]

13. If you are talking about tickets to the game, I don't know what the going rate was when they first

went for sale. What I saw online indicated that the cheapest seats that were available last night were $1,600 each. The average price is $2,645. Since I doubt that anyone goes alone, we are already over $3K before including extra tickets and quality seats. The guest box suites ran $400K (although I doubt many of those people were on mass transit).

[HomerRamone]

12. That's what they get for booing Christie in Times Square nt

[jsr]

14. Not far-fetched

[pnwmom]

16. But they weren't booing Christie.

They were saying, "BRUCE! BRUCE!"

[Nanjing to Seoul]

21. I don't think they were buffalo bills fans and Krisp Krispy does not look like #78

[pnwmom]

22. Very funny.

But in case that wasn't a joke, some reporter recently said that fans were booing The Boss, but he was quickly informed that The Boss's fans were shouting out, "BRUCE, BRUCE!"

And Christie has a mancrush on The Boss.

[rocktivity]

17. Well, in view of what happened to the fans GOING to the stadium

why didn't they make sure they had enough trains to pull them out?


rocktivity

[brooklynite]

24. Actually the outbound numbers were even higher...32,900

Apparently the Broncos fans started leaving an hour early, and the trains were the only things operating.

[TeamPooka]

19. Did the NFL not endorse Chris Christie?

[tom_kelly]

23. They finally run a train out there?

All those years of not drinking too much because I had to drive. I move to FL and they build a train station. Anyway, there wasn't much to watch in that stadium this season.