04.09.25

Cantwell, Moran Reintroduce Bill to Help U.S. Host Cities Bolster Local Infrastructure Ahead of 2026 World Cup, 2028 & 2034 Olympics

Cantwell: “With less than 500 days until Seattle hosts its first 2026 World Cup game, we need the Department of Transportation to get in the game and support host cities”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Finance Committee, and Jerry Moran (R-KS), a member of the Commerce Committee, reintroduced the Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act to provide federal funding for local communities to prepare for transportation demands and ensure the successful movement of fans, workers, and goods during the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, the 2028 Summer Olympics, and the 2034 Winter Olympics that will all be held in the United States.

“With less than 500 days until Seattle hosts its first 2026 World Cup game, we need the Department of Transportation to get in the game and support host cities as they work to showcase the best of American innovation and hospitality,” said Sen. Cantwell. “This bill will help ensure the hundreds of thousands of fans visiting Seattle can get to and from games safely and efficiently by improving coordinated transportation planning across the Pacific Northwest."

“It was a tremendous feat to secure a spot as a host city during the 2026 World Cup, and I have no doubt that Kansas City will be a welcoming community for hundreds of thousands of soccer fans from around the world,” said Sen. Moran. “Preparations are already underway for the games, and this legislation will support local community and agency efforts to improve infrastructure to connect fans with businesses, hotels, the airport and other host cities during the World Cup.”

The United States, Canada, and Mexico were selected to host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, and 11 U.S. cities are preparing to host World Cup matches, including Kansas City, Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Transportation demands will increase greatly as host cities and surrounding communities are expecting hundreds of thousands of additional visitors from across the globe during the games. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympics and Salt Lake City was selected to host the 2034 Winter Olympics.

This legislation would create a grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide host cities with funding for projects that improve transportation in the region during World Cup or Olympic games. Grants would support permanent transportation projects – building new roads, expanding light rail, purchasing new buses, creating bike lanes, improving existing roads or highways, or making airport terminal improvements. 

The Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act would:

  • Provide resources to host cities through grant funding for projects that improve transportation in the region during World Cup or Olympic games, which could include acquiring buses, improving airports, or building roads.
  • Allow DOT to provide technical and planning assistance to host cities, states, and tribes within 100 miles of a World Cup or Olympic event to help improve coordination and prepare regional transportation systems for the influx of fans.
  • Allow DOT to facilitate sharing public transportation equipment, such as buses, between host cities and other cities, helping reduce costs while meeting transportation demand.
  • Direct the Department of Commerce to study the economic impact hosting the World Cup and the Olympics has on travel and tourism in the United States

“The USOPC strongly supports the Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Host Cities Act, and we thank Senators Moran and Cantwell for their leadership on this issue. This legislation is crucial to ensuring the United States is prepared to host the decade of sport ahead, from the 2026 FIFA World Cup to the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and the 2034 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City. This bill will make it possible for cities to enhance their infrastructure and provide a seamless experience for athletes and fans alike. The essential transportation assistance set forward in this bill will help make these global events a success and demonstrate American excellence on the world stage.” – The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

“We are excited for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup to take place in the United States,” said Cindy Parlow Cone, U.S. Soccer Federation President. “We appreciate Senators Moran and Cantwell for introducing legislation to provide the 11 U.S. cities hosting World Cup matches, and the dozens more cities hosting team base camps, fan fests and other events and activities, with the resources they will need to welcome the hundreds of thousands of people that will travel here from around the world.”

"From ferries to trains, buses to highways, the World Cup will undoubtedly put Washington state's transportation system to the test,” said Peter Tomozawa, CEO, Seattle FIFA World Cup 26 Organizing Committee. “We appreciate Senator Cantwell's leadership to provide transportation agencies the support they need so we’re ready to showcase Washington to the world in 2026."

"We are pleased to see this important transportation assistance legislation introduced in support of Kansas City's World Cup efforts,” said Pam Kramer, Chief Executive Officer of KC2026. “Senator Moran continues to be a leader in transportation, mobility, safety and security in the Kansas City region. This legislation will give much needed support to our efforts to ensure safe and efficient transportation of people and goods throughout the region during the World Cup. More importantly, these investments and support will help us create sustained and lasting impact beyond the World Cup, improving mobility in the region well beyond 2026."

“On behalf of the KCATA, we are grateful that Senator Jerry Moran is demonstrating his foresight and leadership by introducing bipartisan legislation that will help us, and other host cities effectively host these games and move people to where they need to be,” said Frank White III, President and CEO of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA). “The Senator’s outreach and understanding of our needs to serve both visitors and residents will help us with effective planning and preparation to host sizable crowds on our transit systems next summer.”

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