Moving millions of soccer fans around North Texas for the 2026 FIFA World Cup won\u2019t be easy.<\/p>\n
To help, Fort Worth\u2019s transit agency approved a one-year contract up to $6 million to lease dozens of buses for 42 days during the games next summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Trinity Railway Express train will transport most people, but because Arlington lacks a comprehensive public transportation system, buses will also be needed to move people from the CentrePort Station south of DFW Airport to AT&T Stadium. The Arlington facility is dubbed Dallas Stadium for the duration of the games.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Using the buses will ease TRE congestion and provide transportation flexibility as needed, chief operating officer Reed Lanham told the Trinity Metro board at a Nov. 17 meeting. The bus leases are on a \u201cpay-as-you-go\u201d basis, with money spent dependent upon how many are used, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t expect to use all the funds,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Trinity Metro\u2019s board OK\u2019d the contract with Irving-based AJL International.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Trinity Metro plans to use 17 to 30 buses daily, although that number could reach 40 per day, Lanham said. The buses are part of a regional transportation plan that also could be used for FIFA-related activities, such as fan festivals, media events and team logistics. Many fans are expected to stay at Fort Worth-area hotels, including those downtown not far from the Central Station at 1001 Jones St.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese will help supplement TRE service,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Buses will be used up to 12 hours per day to ensure adequate coverage, flexibility and contingency planning, Lanham said.<\/p>\n
The approach, officials wrote in a staff report, allows Trinity Metro \u201cto remain responsible to evolving service demands while maintaining high standards of safety, reliability and customer experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trinity Metro officials said the contract is based on an estimated cost of $3,300 per bus per day. Operating up to 40 buses daily over a 42-day period would cost about $5.5 million. Additionally, the contract includes a contingency fee of $554,400.<\/p>\n
Nearly 2 million tickets have been sold for the first two phases of ticket sales for the World Cup games. Most fans are expected to travel from across the nation, Canada and Mexico as well as from England, Germany, Brazil, Columbia, Spain, Argentina and France.<\/p>\n
The games will be played in North Texas June 11 through July 19. The projected local economic impact<\/a> is expected to be $1.5 billion to $2.1 billion.<\/p>\n Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at eric.garcia@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n