Game Day Traffic and Sports: Evidence From Yankee Stadium in the Bronx

This article investigates the impact of sports games on taxi trip times near a stadium in the Bronx. The traffic outcome variable comes from data on individual taxi trips in New York City. These trip-level data contain information on pick-up and drop-off times and locations, and trip distance. We analyze over 280,000 taxi trips on weekday evenings between March and September 2019. Under the assumption that taxi trips represent traffic conditions in the city, the results indicate that travel time increases on a game day. Travelers experience 1.3% longer travel times on game days. Game-related traffic increases travel time by 6.3% for the trips that pass through the stadium area, and by 17% for trips before the game starts. Local economic value of lost time from games amounts to about $2 million per year. Governments should consider these negative externalities when providing subsidies for new sports facility construction.