With World Cup coming, LA Metro increases bus fleet to avoid traffic snarls

LA Metro will spend close to $1 million on shuttle buses to take fans to and from eight World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium this summer, in an effort to get cars off the road and relieve what may become a traffic and parking nightmare.

The transit agency’s governing board voted Feb. 26 to charter bus service from a private contractor for three direct routes at a total cost of $986,231. The FIFA World Cup includes 104 men’s soccer matches from teams representing countries around the globe. Of those, eight will be played at SoFi in Inglewood, the newest stadium in the county and home to the LA Rams and LA Chargers NFL teams.

LA Metro is working with the World Cup organizers to provide transportation from three locations to these eight L.A. matches. In two years, it pledges to add hundreds of buses to serve millions of spectators who will watch the LA 2028 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

“Everything we are doing for the World Cup will set the foundation for the Olympics,” said Conan Cheung, chief operations officer.

With the most popular soccer tournament in the world coming in about 100 days, that is first on the list for Metro planning.

The contracts with Zum Services, Inc. for the World Cup are for five months. The three shuttle service routes will transport people to and from the eight matches at SoFi this summer as follows:

• From El Camino College in Torrance ($493,110)

• From Los Angeles International Airport area hotels and parking areas ($390,774)

• From the Metro G Line (bus rapid transit) Pierce College Station in Woodland Hills ($102,347)

These shuttle services are part of an enhanced bus service program during the SoFi World Cup matches. The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19.

The World Cup in Los Angeles County begins when the men’s U.S. team plays Paraguay on June 12. The second time the U.S. team will play at SoFi is on June 25 against a yet-to-be-determined squad, according to a preliminary schedule released by FIFA World Cup.

Mexico will kick off the tournament with a match against South Africa on June 11 in Mexico City. The World Cup final will be played July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The three L.A. County shuttles will serve about 25,000 fans going to the SoFi matches, Cheung estimated. It will save them from what is expected to be heavy traffic on roadways and freeways near the stadium, as well as paying for parking. Official parking at the stadium for FIFA matches is estimated to cost $250 to $300 per spot, according to the New York Times, Yahoo Sports and other news outlets.

Ticket prices for SoFi World Cup matches will range from $140 to $2,700 each, according to news reports.

Cheung said Metro will most likely charge shuttle users the Metro base fare, $1.75 one way.

LA Metro has estimated it will need 300 buses running more routes than normal to the games, as well as to nine World Cup fan zones throughout the county. About 200 of those buses will be on loan from 11 other transit agencies as part of the enhanced program, including buses from Foothill Transit in West Covina, Riverside Transit Agency, Montebello Transit and OC Transportation Authority. OC Transit will run buses from the ARTIC (Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center) in Anaheim, across from Angel Stadium off the 57 Freeway.

The Zum buses — about 100 — make up the remaining buses needed for Metro’s enhanced World Cup service. These chartered buses from those three locations will mostly be school buses made available during the summer months, Cheung said. About half run on compressed natural gas fuel and the other half run on diesel or gasoline, he said.

Zum Services, based in Redwood City, has experience providing transportation to many school districts across 14 states, including Los Angeles Unified School District, San Bernardino City Unified School District and Pasadena Unified School District. It has also run bus shuttles for the L.A. Marathon and the NBA All-Star Game, LA Metro reported.

The chartered buses do not have lifts for riders in wheelchairs, like all regular transit buses, he said. That’s because private, chartered buses are not funded by the federal government and therefore, are not required to adhere to standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Cheung explained.

“I was shocked we cannot require that of charter buses,” said L.A. County Fourth District Supervisor and Metro board member Janice Hahn.

Cheung said Metro will augment the charter bus services with Access Services vans, which are used to transport riders with disabilities. “It sounds like you are making accommodations for that,” Hahn said.

First District L.A. County Supervisor and Metro board member Hilda Solis asked the agency to make sure the enhanced bus program runs buses to fan zones, where people without tickets can gather and watch the matches on large screens, as well as find food and souvenirs.

“The public will be thinking how do we get around if we are in Pomona, or other parts of the San Gabriel Valley, and get to a fan zone we will have in the Whittier Narrows Area,” she said.

The agency has identified 11 other routes to the games and fan zones as part of its enhanced general public transit. That is in addition to the contracted shuttle services to SoFi from three locations approved Feb. 26.

Fan zones will be held in the following places: Earvin “Magic” Johnson Park; L.A. County Whittier Narrows Park; Venice Beach; The Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles; Los Angeles Union Station; Fairplex in Pomona; West Harbor; LA Memorial Coliseum (Fan Festival); city of Downey; Hansen Dam Recreation Area.

The dates and times of the fan zones are scattered to coincide with the different matches.