Transit agencies in several U.S. cities are seeing record-high ridership during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This includes Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Seattle.
The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) gathered this data. Many agencies have added more service, staff, and security. This helps them serve both daily commuters and soccer fans.
Congress gave over $100 million to public transit in World Cup host cities. The Department of Homeland Security and a White House task force also approved over $1 billion for event security.
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Start Your News DetoxCities Prepare for Fan Influx
More than 26 public transit agencies in 11 U.S. host cities got ready for many international tourists and soccer fans. Experts told Smart Cities Dive that agencies prepared by adding trains, buses, and customer service staff. They also increased maintenance before the event and placed staff at transit stops.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) increased its Broad Street Line capacity. It can now move about 15,000 people per hour.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) stages about 30 buses on match days. This helps if there are any rail service problems. MARTA reported that ridership on game days was 1.2 to three times higher than normal. By June 26, MARTA had carried 1.7 million people to World Cup events. The agency also added transit ambassadors and hundreds of police officers for safety.
Seattle’s Sound Transit light rail had a record 280,000 riders on June 19 for the USA-Australia match. This was 60,000 more than its previous record.
Kansas City, Missouri, opened an extension of its streetcar line in May. It set a single-day ridership record of over 39,000 trips on June 16 for the Argentina-Algeria match.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority saw a nearly sixfold increase in fare payments on a match day. This was at the light rail station serving the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Coliseum hosts a fan festival and live match broadcasts.
Paul Skoutelas, APTA President and CEO, said that public transit agencies have moved millions of fans safely. He noted this shows what public transportation can do with enough resources.
