Transportation agencies across the United States are drawing on this summer’s World Cup to prepare for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The tournament brought record crowds to host cities, with more than 26 public transit agencies in 11 cities coordinating with local, state and federal officials to manage travel demand.
The Federal Transit Administration made more than $100 million available to host cities to expand transit options near stadiums. Preparation also involved helping visitors travel between airports, hotels, fan events and venues, while keeping essential journeys possible for local residents. Transit ambassadors in cities including Atlanta and Los Angeles helped visitors navigate local services. Kansas City established a shared control center where representatives from multiple agencies and organizations could respond to unexpected problems.
Cities also made specific service and infrastructure changes. Seattle’s Sound Transit opened the final seven-mile segment of its light rail line across Lake Washington on March 28. LA Metro opened an extension of its D Line subway on May 8. In Philadelphia, SEPTA added capacity on the Broad Street Line, while Atlanta’s MARTA staged about 30 buses to respond to possible rail disruptions on match days.
Los Angeles is now preparing for the 2028 Olympics, for which organizer LA28 projects attendance of 10 million to 15 million spectators. The city expects about 5 million visitors, according to MSN. LA Metro’s Twenty-Eight by ’28 Initiative, launched in 2017, includes bus, rail, station, roadway, cycling and pedestrian projects. The agency says about 40% are complete, with the remaining projects underway, describing them as long-term regional investments rather than temporary measures for the Games.
Engineering consultancy Arup is working with LA Metro and the LA28 Host Committee on venue access planning, crowd modeling and traffic management. Senior consultant Kaitlin Coari said the World Cup experience would inform the Los Angeles work. She also emphasized the need to plan across the region, since Olympic events will be spread across Southern California and other cities.
The plans must account for security, health and safety, as well as the needs of Paralympic athletes. The Paralympic Games, scheduled for August after the Olympics, will require a separate operational plan and staffing, Coari said. Accessible transportation from airports to buses and venues will be needed. She also said higher-than-average temperatures in the Los Angeles region this summer could make shade management a consideration.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in 2024 that she wanted the city to host “no-car Games.” Coari described the lead-up to the Olympics as an opportunity to encourage travel habits less dependent on cars. The opening ceremony is scheduled for July 14, 2028, with events also planned in Columbus, Oklahoma City, New York City, St. Louis, Nashville, San Diego and San José.
Sources: Smart Cities Dive.