Amid backlash over high World Cup parking and transportation fees, LA Metro is expanding bus service and adding shuttles to make trips to SoFi Stadium more affordable and easier.
As World Cup fans plan summer trips, transportation costs are becoming a bigger story than ticket prices alone.
The contrast is sharp across the country.. Some transit agencies are charging steep fares. host shuttle buses can run much higher than normal. and in at least one city. parking pricing was reported to skyrocket depending on the game and the lot.. In that environment. Los Angeles County’s transit authority is positioning itself as a partial pressure release valve for fans headed to SoFi Stadium.
LA Metro says it is building a World Cup travel plan designed to be both accessible and predictable. using additional service. targeted routes. and game-day support.. “We’re trying to make things convenient. ” said Conan Cheung. the chief operations officer for LA Metro. describing the agency’s goal of helping riders from the moment they decide to come to Los Angeles through the final ride home.
The agency’s approach stands out because it focuses on the full trip experience—how fans get from transit stations to the stadium. how they move through surrounding areas. and how late events are handled.. Cheung pointed to the absence of “standardized fare set across the board” for World Cup transportation. which means costs and friction can vary dramatically depending on where a fan lives and which match they attend.
Misryoum readers should also consider what that unevenness means for ordinary fans.. When ride and parking expenses compound—right on top of hotels. meals. and tickets—the practical question shifts from “Can I go?” to “Can I go without being priced out?” That’s where LA Metro’s emphasis on keeping public transportation accessible becomes more than a service update.. It’s an attempt to reduce the travel penalty that can otherwise hit fans hardest.
According to LA Metro. it is adding roughly 300 buses to its regular fleet to handle expected demand spikes. including shuttles running on nine direct routes to SoFi and to various fan zones.. About 200 of those buses are being lent to LA Metro by 11 regional transit agencies. a level of coordination that signals how seriously the agency is treating crowd management for a global event.
The plan also includes operational details meant to keep the day from turning into a logistical scramble.. Since Metro trains do not run directly to SoFi Stadium. shuttles are intended to bridge the gap between stations and the stadium area.. LA Metro says portable restrooms and hydration stations will be available.. It is also setting up nine park-and-ride sites around Los Angeles and Orange counties. with a reserve-and-pay model that allows drivers to bring a carpool to the stadium area while riding free on Metro’s system from the lot.
Misryoum notes that these mechanics matter because World Cup schedules can disrupt normal commuting patterns.. Five of the eight games at SoFi are scheduled to start at noon local time. when midday travel can stack with regular weekday movement and create pressure on nearby corridors.. LA Metro’s preparations. Cheung said. include “tabletop exercises” and contingency planning—an effort to make sure flow stays intuitive even when crowds move faster or slower than expected.
There’s also an operational lesson embedded in the agency’s history: during last fall’s World Series. when a game went into extra innings. Metro extended operating hours on buses and trains so fans could get home just before midnight.. Cheung used that as an example of how event-based transit planning can be adjusted in real time. not just on paper.
What LA Metro is doing now has ties to earlier large-scale events.. The agency used its experience around Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour at SoFi in 2023 as a “dress rehearsal. ” adding late service and free shuttles from nearby stations. which increased ridership by 25% and reduced traffic spillover onto roads and freeways.. For Misryoum. the implication is clear: the agency is betting that proven crowd patterns can be transferred. at least partially. from one major show to another where international visitors and irregular schedules will add complexity.
LA Metro also frames the World Cup as part of a longer planning arc.. Cheung said the strategies being implemented—working through local. state. and federal partners and coordinating with regional transit agencies—will be used not only for the 2028 Olympics but also for other major moments. including special events and even natural disasters.. In that sense, the World Cup functions as both a headline test and a training ground.
For fans. the practical takeaway is that transportation may not be simply a cost line item but also a comfort and reliability question.. If LA Metro’s added service and shuttle connectivity succeed in keeping trips straightforward. it could shift perceptions of game-day travel in Los Angeles—especially for those who want an option other than expensive parking or multi-step journeys that are hard to navigate at peak times.