KSHB 41 anchor/reporter Daniela Leon covers transportation-related issues in Kansas City. Share your story idea with Daniela.
Two years ago, Kansas City made international headlines after clinching a bid to become one of 16 cities to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
As part of that bid, Kansas City is required to have a free and dedicated transportation system for fans on match day to streamline an unforgettable World Cup experience.
That's one of the biggest issues KC2026, the nonprofit organization overseeing all aspects of the World Cup in Kansas City, has to solve.
"We would not have got to bid if we didn't have the proper infrastructure, the proper stakeholders, and the people dedicated to making this work," said KC2026 Transportation Director Jason Sims. "My purview as Transportation Director is to make sure that people get to those places safely and seamlessly no matter where they are in the region."
Sims has more than 23 years of experience in the transportation sector and has notably led the bi-state development of the KC Scout Traffic Management Center.
While mobility plans for the World Cup continue to be coordinated, Sims is confident the city's current transportation projects, like the streetcar extension, will help with movement during the tournament.
Over the past few weeks, Johnson County secured 50 buses to help with FIFA transportation, however Sims estimates more than 200 buses will be needed for the World Cup.
Most recently, Kansas City signed a contract with TMS.
Sims says the partnership led Kansas City to become first host city to hire a global consulting firm to manage world cup transportation.
"The focus of this is, is the possibilities of what transit looks like in Kansas City and after the World Cup is gone. We can imagine this is what it could possibly look like for a regional transportation system, for our entire region," said Sims.
As the road to 2026 continues, mapping out locations for park and ride, ride share drop-offs, and bus depots, are some of the items still needing attention.
Even though Kansas City doesn't have a light rail system like other host cities, Sims says regional support from cities across Kansas and Missouri will play in KC's favor unlike other host cities.
"Kansas City has a magic of regional cooperation and regional support, so the things that we're deficient on, we can really make up in coming together," said Sims.
Visit KC estimates more than 650,000 people will be coming to KC for the World Cup. This estimate includes hosting six matches at full capacity and official fan fest activities in KC over the duration of event from June 16 to July 11, 2026.
"This has a tremendous economic development opportunity for our region, and we want transportation to connect all of the region to those opportunities," said Sims.
