NEW YORK, NY— New Yorkers heading through Midtown during the 2026 FIFA World Cup will encounter dedicated bus corridors, street closures, delivery restrictions and transit changes designed to move tens of thousands of soccer fans to and from matches in New Jersey.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveiled the transportation plan for the eight local match days, when the region expects some of the largest crowds of the summer.
The City will convert 42nd Street into a bus and shuttle corridor stretching from First Avenue to 12th Avenue.
Officials also will dedicate the two easternmost lanes on Sixth Avenue between 42nd and 59th streets to buses and shuttles and use existing bus lanes on Fifth Avenue between 42nd and 59th streets.
The changes will take effect June 13, 16, 22, 25, 27 and 30, and July 5 and 19, when FIFA World Cup matches take place at the NYNJ Stadium in New Jersey.
Officials said the dedicated transportation corridors will begin operating six hours before kickoff and remain in place until three hours after each match ends.
"New York City is ready to welcome the World Cup to our backyard," Mamdani said. "But even as the eyes of the world turn to our city, our responsibility remains the same to make sure New Yorkers can still get where they need to go safely, affordably and without unnecessary disruption."
The City will designate each match day as a Gridlock Alert Day and urge residents to avoid nonessential driving in Manhattan.
Transportation officials expect heavier congestion across Midtown, particularly near Penn Station, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and major transit hubs.
The transportation plan centers on moving ticket holders to the stadium by mass transit.
Official stadium shuttle buses will provide nonstop service between Manhattan and the stadium through the Lincoln Tunnel. Shuttle pick-up and drop-off locations will operate at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, Columbus Circle and near Grand Central Terminal.
The city also plans temporary street closures around Penn Station as officials manage crowds boarding New Jersey-bound trains.
NJ TRANSIT will restrict outbound rail service from Penn Station to World Cup ticketholders beginning about four hours before each match. Officials will check both match tickets and train tickets before passengers enter the station.
To accommodate queuing areas, the city will close West 33rd Street between Sixth and Eighth avenues and West 32nd Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues to vehicle traffic.
For commuters not attending matches, officials said PATH trains and NJ TRANSIT bus service from the Port Authority Bus Terminal will provide alternative travel options.
The plan also affects businesses across Midtown.
The city will prohibit most truck deliveries between 30th and 60th streets, from the Hudson River to the East River, beginning six hours before matches and continuing until three hours after they conclude.
The restrictions apply only to trucks. Cars, vans, cargo bikes, emergency vehicles and essential service providers remain exempt.
Transit officials encouraged residents to use subways whenever possible.
"Smart New Yorkers and tourists know there's only one fast, reliable way to beat gridlock and experience the city — take the train," Janno Lieber, Metropolitan Transportation Authority chair and CEO, said.
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