Super mess: Fans complain of mass transit chaos
The Denver Broncos could have done a better job running NJ Transit trains, some say
Super Bowl organizers spent four years planning for Sunday's big game, bracing for bad weather that never came and security threats that — save for one 9/11 truther with a bogus badge — never materialized.
But for thousands of fans attending the Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., getting there — and getting home — was a super mess.
According to the Newark Star-Ledger, officials expected between 10,000 and 12,000 people to take the train to the game. Instead, nearly 28,000 did, NJ Transit said.
After the game ended, an announcement over the loudspeakers instructed fans to delay leaving MetLife Stadium due to overcrowding on train platforms.
According to CBS-TV, several people collapsed while waiting in long lines in the Secaucus Junction train station and had to be treated by medical personnel.
Whoa: Massive post-#SB48 crowds wait for @NJTRANSIT on platform: http://t.co/7kd2NTAgzK #SuperJersey pic.twitter.com/tsTPF5jZZC
— NJ.com (@njdotcom) February 3, 2014
"Mass chaos," NJ.com declared, asking readers to share reports of their nightmare commutes.
Many frustrated commuters did.
"@NJTRANSIT your performance is far worse than the Broncos," Rick Fromberg tweeted. "Pathetic."
Plenty of others echoed that sentiment.
The first mass transit @SuperBowl has come to a grinding halt in a quaint place called Secaucus Junction NJ pic.twitter.com/UQhoMkbfqN
— Marc Wurzel (@MarcWurzel) February 2, 2014
Every time #MetLife stadium has an event #NJTransit cant handle the crowds...every time....come on #njtransit just once do it right
— robyn (@rVz7) February 3, 2014
@rVz7 Its a train going back and forth to Secaucus. There is no reason this can't be done correctly #njtransit
— Craig Stein (@CStein66) February 3, 2014
The biggest loser tonight ... All who ride #NJTransit home! This is the line to get on! @Deadspin #SB48 pic.twitter.com/ENQokxpeME
— Chris R. Vaccaro (@ChrisVaccaro) February 3, 2014
Major fail on #njtransit for not running trains. Crowds are blaming @ChrisChristie #sb48
— alexis reiner (@lexigirl0_0) February 3, 2014
NJ Transit should hang their heads in shame, they ruined a Great event! #whatashame #SuperBowlXLVIII #12thMan
— Tom Mazawey (@TomMazawey) February 3, 2014
And for fans trying to fly out of New Jersey on Monday, the nightmare continued. A snow storm dumped several inches of snow in the tri-state area, forcing the cancellation of nearly a quarter of the flights into and out of Newark.
