NJ Transit strike could create a traffic nightmare for Beyonce's 'Cowboy Carter' shows

Giddy up?

Beyonce fans might be better off riding a horse to next week’s “Cowboy Carter” concerts at MetLife Stadium if a strike shuts down NJ Transit rail service.

NJ Transit’s train engineers could walk off the job as soon as Friday after Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers members voted to reject a tentative agreement between the leaders of the agency and the union. The possible labor action threatens not only the commutes of the railroad’s roughly 350,000 daily riders — but also one of the region’s biggest concert tours of the year.

Beyonce is scheduled to play five dates at the stadium between May 22 and May 29. But NJ Transit spokesperson John Chartier on Tuesday did not know if the 50,000 people who can fit into the venue for a concert will be able to take mass transit to the shows.

“Meadowlands service for the Beyonce concert remains TBD,” said Chartier.

NJ Transit has already announced it canceled rail and bus service to a pair of Shakira concerts at MetLife Stadium on Thursday and Friday.

The agency's engineers have been working without a contract for six years, and have not received a pay increase during that time.

NJ Transit President Kris Kolluri accused the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, which represents 450 train engineers, of dragging out negotiations by changing their demands for a base salary. According to Kolluri, NJ Transit initially offered an average salary of $172,000 per year while the union called for $190,000 only to increase it to $220,000 in recent discussions.

The union said Kolluri is misrepresenting the discussions and that it would accept a median wage increase to $171,000 by 2029. Both sides were in Washington on Monday for mediation, but did not reach an agreement.

MetLife’s website recommended people take Coach bus service or carpool to the Shakira shows this week. The website also suggested attendees could take an Uber or Lyft to the stadium, but warned high demand could cause up to two-hour waits to get a for-hire vehicle after the concert.

Transportation in and out of the Meadowlands venue for major events is often fraught even when NJ Transit trains are running as scheduled.

When MetLife hosted the 2014 Super Bowl, nearly 15,000 more people took NJ Transit than expected, leading to dangerous overcrowding. Riders faced hours of delays, and the agency had to send in 50 buses after the game to help bring people away from the stadium.

And in 2019, smackdown fans got bent out of shape when the Wrestlemania 35 show went on well past midnight, later than expected. NJ Transit said federal rules wouldn’t allow many of its engineers to work that late, leaving thousands of fans stranded out by the marsh.