With just eight months until the FIFA World Cup arrives in North Texas, Arlington is preparing to host more matches than any other city in North America — despite having no regional mass transit system.
Mayor Jim Ross says the city is working ahead of schedule to create a temporary transportation plan to move hundreds of thousands of fans to and from AT&T Stadium.
“Well, it’s critically important. How do you get people in and out?” Ross said. “You have people coming from all over the world to the area, and they’re not familiar with here.”
Transit options still in development
The plan, still being finalized with FIFA, will likely include buses connecting to the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) line just north of Arlington. Fans will be able to board trains from stations in both Fort Worth and Dallas.
If crowds overwhelm the rail system, buses may bypass the train entirely and take fans directly to the stadium.
“Yes, it is a fine-tuning process at this point,” Ross said. “The general plans have been laid. We’re making sure everything stays in place. And, every event that we have here, Arlington is another dress rehearsal for what’s going to be happening during the World Cup.”
Announcement expected in March
The North Texas World Cup organizing committee says it will announce full transportation details in March. Ross estimates up to a million visitors could descend on Arlington during the tournament.
CBS News Texas will continue to follow developments as the city prepares for one of the largest sporting events in the world.