Five yellow school buses hired for World Cup transport destroyed in Knicks celebrations

Key Points:

• Nine yellow school buses hired to transport soccer fans from MetLife Stadium were abandoned during New York Knicks celebrations, with five buses destroyed by fire or vandalism, though no passengers were harmed.
• The shuttle bus service, expanded to 150 buses with $6 million from New York State, aims to provide affordable travel for World Cup fans, reducing original high transit prices from $150 to $20.
• Despite smooth operations before games, post-match bus service faced long wait times and severe traffic congestion, especially near the Lincoln Tunnel, delaying returns to Manhattan by up to two hours.
• NJ Transit reported lower-than-expected rail ridership with only 21,578 fans paying $98 for train tickets, while 16,000 used the bus service, impacting traffic flow and highlighting the importance of public transit due to limited parking at MetLife Stadium during the tournament.
• Authorities arrested 63 people overnight for various offenses amid the Knicks celebrations, and the World Cup host committee confirmed shuttle operations will continue unaffected by the vandalism incidents.