Penn Station Chokes on 4-Event Fan Surge as NYPD Security Reroutes Thousands
Updated
Updated · Newsday · Jun 14
Penn Station Chokes on 4-Event Fan Surge as NYPD Security Reroutes Thousands
1 articles · Updated · Newsday · Jun 14
Summary
Thousands of soccer, Knicks, Mets and concert fans jammed Penn Station on Saturday, turning the hub chaotic as travelers navigated packed escalators, closed entrances and shifting directions.
NYPD's Madison Square Garden “frozen zone” drove much of the disruption: some NJ Transit access points on West 31st and 32nd streets were shut, and fans were sent outside for metal detectors before reentering.
Around 1 p.m., Brazil and Morocco supporters who cleared screening were briefly stopped again by officers unsure whether wristbanded fans could proceed, underscoring the confusion inside the station.
LIRR said its service in and out of Penn Station was operating normally and referred questions on crowding and policies to NJ Transit, which did not immediately respond.
By late afternoon the soccer crush eased, but officials and riders still faced the prospect of another squeeze as Mets, Knicks and Madison Square Garden crowds headed home later that night.