OLATHE, Kan. — Johnson County recently secured 50 buses to be used as transportation as the county prepares to support Kansas City, Missouri, when it hosts 2026 FIFA World Cup matches.
The buses will provided by Masters Transportation.
Mike Kelly, chairman of the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners, said this was an important step in World Cup preparations. Kelly also serves on KC 2026.
"At this point, we want to make sure that we’ve secured an opportunity early at a great price, at a fully refundable discount, knowing that we’re gonna need buses," Kelly said.
The deposit was $1.5 million, coming from federal funds and local resources.
Kelly said they're planning ahead, knowing there's going to be a lot more buses needed.
"Two years, we don’t even have that," Kelly said. "600 days, it’s going to go by very quick. And we’re going to want to get these processes in place, and we’re actually going to want to implement them before June 16, 2026."
While these buses are paid for by Johnson County, they could be used for other parts of the region.
"What I'm hoping is more of the legacy is the systems that are able to be put into place," Kelly said. "A unique level of regional partnership that hasn’t been necessary before, and hopefully a legacy of better transportation’s a part of that."
Renee Butler has been driving buses for Johnson County for 15 years.
She said she sees around 50 people a day, more for events like Chiefs games.
There's no guarantee she'll be one of the drivers for the World Cup buses, but she's ready to jump behind the wheel if need be.
"I’ve been doing this a long time, and, you know, I just have fun doing it," Butler said. "They be so excited, so I’m just excited to get them there and back."
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