Existing methods of transportation to the FIFA World Cup games in Arlington via charter buses and train rides will remain the same for now, an official of the North Central Texas Council of Governments said.
Michael Morris, transportation director for the council of governments, said at a June 23 update meeting provided by the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee and the council that the transit plan launched in early June is going smoothly.
Transportation Plan
Morris said that he feels confident continuing to use the system and proposed no transportation changes for Thursday’s match between Japan and Sweden at Dallas Stadium in Arlington.
“We’re not getting cocky with our particular plan,” Morris said. “We have plenty of transit capacity with plenty of parking capacity. I propose no changes to the plan going into (Thursday’s match).”
Morris said the team would reconvene later to review the transportation plan once again but is confident that transportation will continue to run smoothly for both residents and tourists.
The council would review the plan again after receiving data from Saturday evening’s match between Jordan and Argentina, Morris said. There could be a possible strain on the system due to late-night hours and usage, Morris said.
About a year ago, Monica Paul, the North Texas FWC Organizing Committee president, gave the committee the idea to stagger fan traffic by hosting game day events at Texas Live! in Arlington’s Entertainment District. Morris shared that this method has had a significant impact on reducing traffic.
“Our post-event pulse is not showing up as significant, because there are things to do now,” Morris said, referring to events at Texas Live! before and after matches. “We’re not seeing delays in the CentrePort Station or at the bus hub of individuals having to wait long periods of time in the weather.”
Wait times for charter buses from the CentrePort/DFW Airport Station to the stadium have ranged from three to five minutes, Morris said. At the stadium, buses arrive and depart in about 20-minute allotments. Morris also said that the use of charter buses to the CentrePort Station is higher after the games than before, due to surge pricing that occurs after the games.
The average number of users is only about 6,000 people using this method to arrive at games, Morris said.
“We have room for additional capacity,” Morris said. “If you want to take transit to these matches, you’re more than welcome to take transit. We still have plenty of capacity for that.”
Original reporting: Fort Worth Report — read the source article.
