I’m slightly obsessed with the Olympics. To my delight, Milan Cortina is the first Winter Games my kids are old enough to really follow and at home, the kids are deep into learning about the nuances of alpine skiing while participating in the fine tradition of becoming emotionally involved in “Olympic moments.” This has included an earsplitting scream from my son when the U.S. mixed doubles curling team seized a semifinal victory on the final stone —known in the sport as “the hammer.”
While my childhood dream of being an Olympic athlete never came to pass (as it did for my colleague, Long Jumper Tyrone Smith), I’ve been sharing stories with my kids about the one Olympics I actually attended: the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.
Unlike attendees of more recent Olympics, I didn't have the benefit of Citymapper, or a smartphone to get around. We relied on a series of analog bus transfers to various venues, yet somehow never arrived late. Only years later did I understand that the 2002 Olympics were a massive transportation success story that has paid huge transit dividends for over two decades. It’s no surprise that SLC is already smartly planning for the 2034 Games; in fact the IOC actually advised them to slow down—a rare 'problem' for a host city to have.
With 40% more events scheduled than in 2002, transportation is a major priority again. As Utah Transportation Authority (UTA) officials visit Milan this month to study their operations, Jay Fox, Executive Director of UTA, summarized their ambitious goal for 2034 succinctly: “We want transportation to be seamless so that you don’t ever think about where you’re going.”
Of course, we have two major global sporting events coming up much sooner on U.S. soil: this summer’s World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. It hasn’t gotten much ink, but along with a $363 million increase in transit “contract authority” (guaranteed formula funds and some grants) the budget bill President Trump signed into law on February 3 included some good news for host cities.
The bill provides specific "Special Events" funding: an additional $100 million for World Cup host cities and $94 million for Los Angeles as it prepares for 2028. This is welcome news as cities gear up for a World Cup that will be the largest in history, featuring 48 teams and 104 matches. According to the FIFA president, Americans should prepare to be conquered by a horde of soccer-loving “happy barbarians” (his words, not mine). With 11 U.S. host cities in the mix, the transportation approach will need to be as diverse as the cities themselves.
Host cities can’t exactly train like an athlete, but some are getting practice in. Seattle recently used its Super Bowl parade as a dry run. “Operation Blue Thunder” saw the city and Sound Transit successfully encouraging revelers to take light rail in droves, while also identifying areas of improvement like the need for more bathrooms and better signage. Other cities are looking to use the World Cup to test new approaches; New York City Mayor Mamdami has proposed using the weeks of the World Cup to pilot fare free buses.
Los Angeles, the site of eight World Cup matches, including team USA’s opening match on June 12, will be focused on delivering residents (and happy barbarians) to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. In 2028, that same stadium will host part of the Olympics opening ceremony and then transform into the largest swimming venue in Olympics history. Los Angeles last hosted the Games in 1984 with limited transit; today, the city is determined to deliver the “cleanest Games for transportation in U.S. history” by prioritizing efficient rail, buses, bikes, and pedestrian access.
Creating a seamless transportation system for a global event is no small feat; it is a public endeavor that usually only gets noticed when something goes wrong. But as my family prepares to cheer for Team USA (and Croatia!), I’ll also be rooting for these host cities. I hope they use this moment to showcase new investments and create the kind of lasting mobility changes that Salt Lake City achieved twenty-four years ago.