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Fans, officials happy with World Cup public transit
Public transportation for the FIFA World Cup in North Texas has been a success so far. FOX 4's Alex Boyer has more reaction from officials and fans alike.
DALLAS - Groups in charge of organizing the public transportation plan for FIFA World Cup matches say so far, everything has gone smoothly.
FIFA World Cup public transit in North Texas
What we know:
The North Texas FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee and the North Central Texas Council of Governments held a press conference Tuesday to give an update on how their public transit plan for the World Cup has performed so far.
The official plan involves taking the Trinity Railway Express to the CentrePort Station south of DFW Airport, then taking a bus to a parking lot north of Dallas Stadium.
How to get to Dallas Stadium without a car
Soccer fans traveling to Dallas Stadium for FIFA World Cup matches can utilize expanded public transit, shuttle buses, rideshare services, or rental cars to navigate the trip to Arlington.
Officials said that on average, 5,000 to 6,000 fans are using their public transportation plan going to and from matches.
80% of riders take the TRE east, while 20% come to CentrePort Station from the west.
Michael Morris, Director of Transportation for the NCTCG, says that fans who arrive early and stay late at venues like Texas Live! in Arlington have eased congestion on the public transit system.
What they're saying:
"They're walking up through the tent, directly into their charter buses. Very little time in a queue, maybe three to five minutes. Most of the time, no queue. They're walking directly to their buses," Morris said.
"The buses are getting to the CentrePort station in the 20 minute allotment. We have no queue with regard to those individuals walking down to the platform."
Michael Morris
Local perspective:
On non-match days, fans can use DART to get to the FIFA Fan Festival in Fair Park. FOX 4's Alex Boyer spoke to several fans about their experience using public transit during the World Cup so far.
"DART is a good experience. I took the Silver Line, the Orange Line, the Green Line. it's been a good experience," Carlos Coloma said.
"It was very nice. It was easy to come here. We're in Richardson, so we take like two trains to get here," Rigo Herrera said.
What's next:
Officials aren't recommending any changes to the current system, but will keep an eye on the rest of the tournament and adjust as needed.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee.