A Gothamist reporter who tried biking from the WNYC/Gothamist newsroom in SoHo to MetLife Stadium on a 91-degree afternoon says the trip was unsafe and wildly impractical for most fans. The roughly three-hour ride crossed the George Washington Bridge and wound through Fort Lee, Leonia, Little Ferry and Moonachie before finally reaching the Meadowlands. Along the way, narrow shoulders, highway-speed traffic and roadside debris pushed the reporter onto sidewalks and, eventually, onto an NJ Transit bus for the ride back.
How the ride played out
As detailed by Gothamist, reporter Liam Quigley said the shoulders kept shrinking the deeper he rode into New Jersey, while cars routinely blew past at about 50 mph and the shoulder was strewn with glass and other debris. He described the approach to the stadium as aggressively car-centric, with chain-link fencing, warehouses and fast-food parking lots for scenery, and wrote that long stretches of the route forced him off the road for his own safety. Quigley also reported seeing workers finishing shifts and drinking beer on the back of a bus before he boarded that same NJ Transit bus rather than risk cycling home.
Officials bluntly discourage walking or biking
New York and New Jersey agencies have been clear: fans should not try to walk or bike to MetLife on match days. As NBC New York reported, the NYC Department of Transportation said it "would strongly discourage this type of behavior" and warned people not to walk along highways outside designated pedestrian zones. Regional officials have echoed that message in local coverage, with NJBiz noting NJ Transit and host-committee leaders warning that walking or otherwise using highway corridors to reach the Meadowlands is both illegal in places and dangerously impractical.
Why some fans considered hoofing or biking it
Part of the urge to look for offbeat routes comes down to price and logistics. Match-day transit pricing and limited stadium parking have some ticketholders hunting for alternatives. NJ Transit match-day pricing has been widely reported at roughly $150 round trip for special train service and about $80 for official shuttle buses, and that spike helped fuel social chatter about walking or biking instead. fare fight coverage and other reporting have tracked the back-and-forth over fares, while MetLife's official site lists the stadium's seating at roughly 82,500 and notes it will host multiple World Cup matches this summer.
Arrival plans and the reality on the ground
Transit agencies are urging fans to buy official match-day transport and to expect altered station access and tight security near Penn Station on game days, according to reporting that followed agency briefings and budget hearings. NJBiz reported that NJ Transit leaders have emphasized the need for ticketed, controlled boarding windows and special Meadowlands service to move tens of thousands of fans safely. For anyone hoping to save money by pedaling or walking, the combination of highway-speed traffic, narrow or non-existent shoulders and security-driven routing makes that gamble a risky one.
A practical takeaway for fans
If you are heading to MetLife for a match, the practical options are official transit, an approved shuttle or a prearranged rideshare pickup, not a DIY bike ride through the Meadowlands. The reporter's firsthand ride backs up what officials have been saying all along: the approach to the stadium is built for cars, not for people on foot or on bikes, and the safest move is to use the match-day services and follow the guidance from transit authorities.
