Bay Area Partnership a Success for World Cup Opener; Record-Breaking Ridership

A coordinated regional transit network helped carry more than 37,000 passengers to and from the opening World Cup match at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The effort set a new public transit ridership record for a major event at the venue and proved to be a major public transportation success.

Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Caltrain, Altamont Corridor Express (ACE), and Capitol Corridor worked together to move fans. BART and Caltrain carried passengers to transit centers for connections to VTA light rail for the final leg to the stadium, while ACE and Capitol Corridor also provided service to the stadium.

VTA reported that 37,642 passengers used its service during the event, with post-match crowds exceeding the number of fans who arrived by transit before kickoff. Light rail platforms serving the stadium were cleared in less than 90 minutes after the match, faster than the two-hour benchmark for clearing crowds after a major event at the stadium.

“This was a tremendous success for VTA and our regional transit partners,” said VTA General Manager and CEO Carolyn Gonot. “Thousands of fans chose transit to get to and from the match, and together with BART and Caltrain, we provided a seamless travel experience that kept people moving and got them home safely.”

BART reported that ridership at Milpitas Station, where riders connected to VTA light rail, was up more than 160 percent compared with the previous weekend. “We’ve worked with our fellow transit agencies to make transfers fan friendly and now the world is seeing how far the Bay Area’s transit network has come,” said BART General Manager Bob Powers.

Caltrain carried nearly 7,000 fans to and from the match, connecting riders to VTA light rail at Mountain View Transit Center. Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard said the commuter rail service helps to “skip traffic, avoid parking costs, and get to the World Cup stress-free.” Capitol Corridor handled nearly 2,400 trips to and from the stadium, while ACE carried almost 1,600 passengers.

In preparation for the games, transit agencies have expanded service, strengthened safety and security, upgraded infrastructure, and coordinated operations. Learn more about these efforts in: U.S. Public Transportation Systems Ready to Move Millions for World Cup.