APTA, transit agencies focus on service, fare collection, safety as 2026 FIFA World Cup begins

Just hours before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 11, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) hosted a press briefing with some members of the host agencies for the World Cup to dive into how the 39-day event will impact public transit in their region. According to APTA’s press kit, hosting the World Cup in a city is comparable to hosting 45 Super Bowls in 39 days. 

“When people think about the World Cup, they think about soccer. They don’t think about how transit affects so many other things,” said APTA Director of Public Affairs Amy Thompson. 

To kick off the briefing, APTA President and CEO Paul Skoutelas talked about the impact public transit has on a mega event on the scale of the World Cup. He mentioned how public transit was a key factor in the selection of the U.S. for this year’s edition and what host cities got to host. 

“This is truly what our transit industry does every single day: serving millions of people. At its core, public transit is about mobility, but it is key to everyday infrastructure,” Skoutelas said. 

According to APTA Chair and Chicago Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Leanne Redden, it’s not just the local transit agencies that are key to the success of the World Cup; funding at the federal level is just as important. She notes that local and federal collaboration is key in making sure public transit “has a seat at the table” for every conversation involving infrastructure. Redden also adds the recent passing of the Build America 250 Act by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is “a great first step in continuing job growth and innovation for public transit.” 

APTA Vice Chair Joel Young agreed with Redden’s sentiments, also noting that for the World Cup, “the coordination is unprecedented between agencies and the cities to ensure good crowd management while also conducting regular ridership.” 

Fare collection 

One of the biggest topics of discussion was fare collection, specifically contactless payments. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) CEO Stephanie Wiggins highlighted L.A. Metro’s new mobile app, in coordination with Moovit, that features trip planning across bus and rail services with real-time information. Riders can also use the app to pay for fares. 

“It is so important for international visitors, or anyone on our system for the first time, for them not to have to worry about getting a physical card to take transit,” Wiggins said. 

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Interim President and CEO David Leininger discussed the agency’s launch of GoPass, a reloadable fare payment card (both digital and physical). The app that manages GoPass includes 11 languages.  

Along with GoPass, Leiniger noted the agency has 305 fare kiosks, and all those kiosks include the language of every country participating in the World Cup. 

Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) Acting CEO Chuck Ferguson noted KCATA just started implementing fares June 1 on public transit after six years. Ferguson said the fares will remain permanent and was not implemented specifically for the World Cup, while noting the Kansas City Streetcar is still fare-free. 

The agency leaders noted they did not have a forecast for potential fare revenue during the World Cup. 

Safety and security 

Another big emphasis among all the host cities while planning for the event was safety and security. 

According to Skoutelas, agencies can take action to improve safety, but it's not a one-size-fits-all bucket. 

“There’s a layered approach to law enforcement and surveillance with the state and federal level,” Skoutelas said. 

Wiggins talked about some of the technology L.A. Metro has implemented to help its safety measures, including drones to help with surveillance, as well as its plan to create a department of public safety. 

“Safety is key to everything we do. Technology is key to that,” Wiggins said.  

According to Leininger, the DART Board in March passed a $32 million investment in security. The agency has also three different types of officers: 

1. Licensed police officers 
2. Transit security officers  
3. Fare enforcement officers 

Ferguson noted that KCATA has launched an ambassador program ahead of the World Cup as well.  

“We hope [the ambassador program] is a legacy program for KCATA,” Ferguson said. “They will be on the system to help riders navigate where to go. We think it helps with the welcoming image Kansas City hopes to project.” 

Service contingencies 

With thousands of people using transit daily to get to the matches, the agencies had to make contingency plans to ensure riders can still get to the stadiums on time. Most agencies, including L.A. Metro, DART and KCATA, will be using bus bridges in case something happens to the rail line. 

Post World Cup 

APTA and the three agency leaders emphasized that the changes implemented for the World Cup will dictate how transit agencies in the host cities operate moving forward. Skoutelas mentioned the new L.A. Metro D Line Section 1 and recent Kansas City Streetcar Authority extension projects as examples of transit lines that will help move massive amounts of people for a long time. 

Ferguson noted that the agency is “looking at [the World Cup] as a jumping off point for regional funding that [KCATA] doesn’t have today.” He also said that the agency is hopeful that more people use transit than cars not only during the World Cup, but after.  

“There’s multiple layers of public transit. We want people to know you don’t need a car to navigate the city, regardless of this special event,” Ferguson noted.