{"id":359862,"date":"2026-06-14T00:52:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T00:52:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/359862\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T00:52:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T00:52:16","slug":"metro-is-running-1-75-bus-rides-to-the-fifa-world-cup-in-l-a-heres-what-my-journey-on-one-was-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/359862\/","title":{"rendered":"Metro is running $1.75 bus rides to the FIFA World Cup in L.A. Here\u2019s what my journey on one was like."},"content":{"rendered":"

Amid all of L.A.\u2019s traffic doomers, I wanted to believe that the World Cup<\/a> wouldn\u2019t be any more of a gridlocked nightmare than normal. After all, SoFi Stadium<\/a> hosts at least 17 NFL games every fall, plus multi-night runs from the likes of Beyonc\u00e9 and Taylor Swift. And the World Cup? Technically the stadium (dubbed \u201cLos Angeles Stadium\u201d for the duration of the FIFA tournament) had to slightly lower its seating capacity to squeeze in the pitch, and the jacked-up parking prices and expanded public transit access should\u2014in theory\u2014ease some of congestion surrounding the stadium.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, my optimism proved mostly right: The bottlenecks by SoFi<\/a>\u00a0during Friday night\u2019s sold-out local opener<\/a> felt like mostly routine event traffic, and thanks to Metro\u2019s<\/a> smoothly-coordinated fleet of $1.75 direct buses, I at least didn\u2019t have to be the one with my foot hovering over the brake pedal. Unfortunately, that still means the surface streets around the Inglewood venue\u2014especially postgame\u2014were kind of miserable.<\/p>\n

RECOMMENDED:\u00a0FIFA World Cup 2026 Los Angeles: Match schedules, tickets and how to get there<\/a><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with the good\u2014maybe even great. Whereas the shuttles for Rams games or major concerts run solely from the light rail stop near LAX<\/a>, Metro and its partner agencies are operating World Cup buses<\/a> that depart every 10 minutes from 13 mostly-transit-connected spots across L.A. County, as well as two in Orange County. And, at least for my Union Station\u2013originating trip, I can\u2019t say enough positive things about the organization at every step: Wayfinding signage was clear, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the buses were plentiful, clean and air conditioned.<\/p>\n

\"Metro
\nCourtesy MetroWorld Cup Enhanced Service <\/p>\n

There are, of course, some small catches: Yes, a bus ride only costs $1.75 each way, but unless you\u2019re able to start your journey on another bus or rail line, you\u2019re probably shelling out some extra cash for an Uber to or a parking spot at one of these bus stops, which ranges anywhere from $10 to $150. (Still considerably less than the $250-plus price tag for on-site parking\u2014and the hundreds of dollars you\u2019ve already spent on tickets.)<\/p>\n

The shuttles also arrive at one of three separate drop-off and pickup locations depending on your route, but this location might not be the closest transit stop to your seat. The bulk of the routes gather south of the stadium at the Intuit East Garage on Century Boulevard, the Valley and Santa Monica ones opt for a lot across from the northwest corner of the Forum, and the Westside and South Bay buses pull into a lot along Prairie Avenue just west of the stadium (where the Rams shuttles normally disembark). The walks to the nearest security gate range from .2 to .5 miles, but that distance could double depending on which side of the stadium you need to trek over to.<\/p>\n

Without dedicated bus lanes, you\u2019re not avoiding any of that traffic.<\/p>\n

Ultimately though, the buses\u2019 worst sin is out of their control: They sit in the exact same traffic as everyone else. The blocks immediately surrounding SoFi Stadium come to a crawl before events and a near standstill following them; without dedicated bus lanes, you\u2019re not avoiding any of that traffic (though you are, theoretically, doing your part to help get some cars off the road). Thankfully, Inglewood is moving forward with plans to open dedicated event-day bus lanes<\/a> on Hawthorne Boulevard\/La Brea Avenue and Arbor Vitae Street that are set to debut\u00a0in time for the 2028 Olympics<\/a>. But that won\u2019t really provide much comfort when you\u2019ve inched forward two blocks in 20 minutes on your way home from the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Traffic will, of course, vary from match to match: The U.S. opener drew a sellout crowd that had to content with Friday rush hour traffic (though also gates that opened an extra hour earlier to accommodate the pregame ceremony). Monday\u2019s match between Iran and New Zealand is likely to see far less demand, while something like Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday has the benefit of a weekday afternoon kickoff.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve made it this far into the story, you\u2019re probably the sort of transit-curious reader interested in a play-by-play of my World Cup commute, so allow me to unroll some timestamps. I was able to only try one of the 15 different bus routes, but I expect that many Angelenos\u2014whether arriving by subway, light rail, bus, car, Metrolink or Amtrak\u2014may also find themselves starting their trek from Union Station.<\/p>\n

\"World
\nPhotograph: Michael Juliano for Time OutFIFA World Cup in L.A. <\/p>\n

2:36pm<\/p>\n

My journey began just before this, when my Uber arrived at Union Station at 2:28pm. Metro will advise you to get dropped off on the Vignes Street side (where I arrived), but I saw no issues with heading to the Alameda Street side instead, where the buses actually depart from.<\/p>\n

So after a brief walk through the station, I tapped my credit card, boarded a bus at 2:36pm and started basking in the air conditioning. Videos from the very start of service that afternoon showed long lines to board, but I basically walked right on more than three hours before kickoff with a seemingly neverending queue of buses behind it ready to welcome more riders.<\/p>\n

2:40pm<\/p>\n

We only sat in park for a few minutes before the 20 of us on the bus\u2014we all had seats\u2014pulled away from the curb and started to crawl through Downtown L.A.\u2019s early onset of Friday rush hour traffic. The bus lanes along that stretch of Cesar Chavez Avenue only marginally helped to move along the trip; it took 12 minutes just to get to the freeway entrance on Grand Avenue, only .7 miles away.<\/p>\n

The110 freeway through DTLA had a similar grind in store until we reached the start of the ExpressLanes near USC. And any toll lane driver or bus commuter who routinely tackles this stretch knows this agony: It took 32 minutes to travel the 4.5 miles from Union Station to the start of the ExpressLanes, but only 12 minutes to travel the 10 miles from here to the Prairie Avenue exit on the 105.<\/p>\n

3:24pm<\/p>\n

While the trip so far has just been typical L.A. rush hour things, here we hit the event-at-SoFi gridlock. The bus merged toward the Prairie exit at 3:24pm, but it took 20 minutes from entering the ramp until we actually turned left onto the street\u2014a mere half-mile distance. In fact, the ramp was at such a standstill that the already-buzzed dude near me had enough time to take a quick bathroom break off the bus and get back on before we made the turn.<\/p>\n

The rest of the drive up Prairie was smooth until we neared the intersection with Century Boulevard at 3:39pm. It took a few light cycles just to make that right turn, and then another few minutes to inch along that final block.<\/p>\n

\"World
\nCourtesy MetroWorld Cup Enhanced Service <\/p>\n

3:48pm<\/p>\n

By the time the bus pulled into its stop at the Intuit East Garage, across the street from the grounds surrounding SoFi Stadium, it was 3:48pm, a one hour and eight minute ride in total. Metro\u2019s website estimates this as a 40-minute ride, and while my trip added an extra half hour onto that, I do think that 40-minute mark seems like a sensible prediction for a weekday afternoon or weekend match.<\/p>\n

So I started my walk to the stadium, and if you\u2019ll remember my spiel about the three separate bus stops, here\u2019s where my feet started to put in some extra work. I happened to be in the farthest-south stop with seats on the very northeastern corner of SoFi, which would end up being a mile-long walk from bus to stadium seat. If I happened to have a seat on the western side of the stadium, it would\u2019ve been about half that.<\/p>\n

\"Gate
\nPhotograph: Michael Juliano for Time OutGate E security screening at SoFi Stadium during the World Cup <\/p>\n

3:59pm<\/p>\n

I reached the back of the security screening area at Gate E, and the lines\u2014and midday sun\u2014looked a bit overwhelming.<\/p>\n

4:09pm<\/p>\n

After only 10 minutes (about half of that to the tune of \u201cU-S-A\u201d chants) I had already cleared the keep-everything-in-your-pockets security screening and started hoofing it toward the stadium.<\/p>\n

4:19pm<\/p>\n

I scanned my ticket at entry five and started snaking my way along escalator after to escalator to get to my seat.<\/p>\n

\"FIFA
\nPhotograph: Michael Juliano for Time OutFIFA World Cup opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium <\/p>\n

4:30pm<\/p>\n

I plopped myself into my seat, just in time for the opening ceremony to start. When it was all said and done, it took me just shy of two hours from the time I sat on the bus to when I sat in my stadium seat.<\/p>\n

6pm<\/p>\n

Kickoff.<\/p>\n

8:03pm<\/p>\n

The match ended, with the United States\u2019 4\u20131 victory over Paraguay, and plenty of fans stayed firmly planted in place to celebrate.<\/p>\n

8:15pm<\/p>\n

I left my seat and walked in circles a bit before I found an exit tunnel and zigzag of escalators that was actually moving.<\/p>\n

8:22pm<\/p>\n

Fresh air. I started my hike back to the bus stop, but even as an assertive solo walker, the penned-in walkways, thick crowds and backed-up crosswalks (and tired legs) made the journey a bit slower than my arrival in the afternoon.<\/p>\n

\"Traffic
\nPhotograph: Michael Juliano for Time OutTraffic outside of SoFi Stadium on Century Boulevard during the World Cup <\/p>\n

8:40pm<\/p>\n

I made it back into the southern garage where the buses were departing from. There were plenty of buses lined up and barely a queue to get on them, but I don\u2019t think I saw a single bus leave the garage for a sold 15-minute stretch, which initially held up boarding. I think this is where the post-victory lingering and long walk really set me back; if I had been able to book it to a closer stop, it\u2019s possible I could\u2019ve been on a bus before all area traffic came to a complete standstill.<\/p>\n

\"Metro
\nPhotograph: Michael Juliano for Time OutMetro buses lined up for the World Cup <\/p>\n

9pm<\/p>\n

I\u2019m on a bus. I have a seat. But the bus isn\u2019t moving yet. The lines of people waiting to board behind me have gotten longer but still seem manageable.<\/p>\n

9:15pm<\/p>\n

The bus escapes the parking area and turns onto 102nd Street.<\/p>\n

9:22pm<\/p>\n

The bus turns onto 104th Street. From boarding until now, it\u2019s taken 22 minutes to go not even two blocks. But from here on out it\u2019s smooth sailing the rest of the way.<\/p>\n

10pm<\/p>\n

We pull in front of Union Station and deboard.<\/p>\n

10:01pm<\/p>\n

After standing in a very short line for another $1.75 tap, I start the rest of my trip home. It\u2019s been about an hour and 45 minutes since I left my seat at SoFi Stadium. For reference: I checked my camera roll from\u00a0a Beyonc\u00e9 concert at SoFi Stadium last year and from the time I left my seat until the time I wrapped up a just-barely-longer drive, it took me an hour and 20 minutes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Amid all of L.A.\u2019s traffic doomers, I wanted to believe that the World Cup wouldn\u2019t be any more…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":359863,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[8091,48,52,51,47,50,145330,49,8092,2422],"class_list":["post-359862","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-categories-travel","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-kickers-world-cup-26","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-news-transport-travel","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359862"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359862\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/359863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}