Three weeks after thousands of fans were stranded trying to get to and from the Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium, NJ Transit revealed Monday that it has appointed a committee to look into what went wrong.
About 33,000 people took the 7-mile ride between MetLife Stadium and the Secaucus rail transfer station on Super Bowl Sunday, more than double the highest estimates made by organizers and transportation experts before the game. The overcrowding on the platform grew so severe immediately following the game that the stadium scoreboard flashed a sign asking fans to remain inside.
Fan complaints of long lines and long waits went viral on the day of the big game, even as NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein praised his agency's handling of such a large crowd in what was billed as the first ever "Mass Transit Super Bowl."
Retired federal judge Dennis Cavanaugh was hired to lead the investigation, NJ Transit said Monday.
"When the interviews are done they will be thorough, they're not gonna be softballs," said Bruce Meisel, the NJ Transit Board vice chairman who will head the investigation internally.
Among those expected to be interviewed will be NJ Transit employees, state police, NFL officials and even NJ Transit Chairman James Simpson, a Christie appointee who was heavily involved in the planning.
Simpson declined to comment on the probe, noting his involvement in preparing for the game and moving its crowds. He did say, however, that he expects a full report within 30 days.
Some fans waited for trains well past midnight even though the game ended before 10 p.m. Earlier that day, trains were delayed temporarily at Secaucus as thousands of fans went through airport-style security screening. Six people were treated by emergency medical services at the station, most for heat-related conditions, according to Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli. Two people who fell at the station were taken to a hospital but their injuries weren't believed to be serious, he said.
