U.S. Transit Agencies Record Ridership During 2026 World Cup

During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Atlanta’s Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) reported transporting 4.7 million rail passengers over the 35‑day tournament period, with match‑day volumes reaching up to 240,000 trips on the Morocco‑Haiti game. MARTA credited intensive staffing, multilingual volunteers and a supplemental bus fleet for handling the surge, and noted zero major crimes on the system despite a federal safety investigation that began earlier in June.

In New Jersey, NJ Transit moved more than 370,000 riders across eight World Cup matches, the agency’s largest single‑event movement to date. CEO Kris Kolluri highlighted the use of dedicated ambassadors, coordinated police and federal partnerships, and temporary bus‑rail integrations that carried roughly 22,000‑26,000 passengers per match. The agency plans to apply these operational improvements to everyday commutes and to modernize its fleet by 2031.