Bay Area transit agency seeks $44 million from the state for added service during World Cup

As the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority gears up for the FIFA World Cup planned in Silicon Valley in 2026, it faces a stark reality: its bus and light rail system will have to transport tens of thousands more riders — paying far more in the cost of additional service than it will recoup from fares.

Now, the VTA is looking to the state to help with the additional cost.

In a Jan. 6 letter to the Bay Area’s legislative caucus, VTA General Manager and CEO Carolyn Gonot asked the delegation for their assistance in obtaining $44 million for “urgent and currently unfunded safety, security and operational needs” associated with the World Cup.

Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is scheduled to host both the Super Bowl on Feb. 8 and six World Cup matches between June 13 and July 1. While VTA was able to cover the cost of additional service for the Super Bowl within their normal operating budget — estimated at $3.8 million — the length of the World Cup combined with the influx of more out-of-town fans will leave the transit agency in a pinch financially.

“These matches will bring tens of thousands of international visitors to the region and will place extraordinary demands on local government services, law enforcement, emergency management, transportation systems and regional mobility providers,” Gonot said in her letter. “FIFA also has promoted transit as the option to travel to games and related activities and events. While significant planning is underway, there remains a clear gap between FIFA’s operational expectations and the resources currently available to our agencies and jurisdictions.”

The agency’s $44 million request has been broken down into three categories: $9 million for passenger safety that will focus on ADA station improvements, crowd-control infrastructure and platform redesign; $18 million for security measures like new pedestrian barriers, CCTV analytics and additional law enforcement staffing; and $17 million in operating needs like signage and ticket vending enhancements.

Greg Richardson, VTA’s assistant general manager and chief financial officer, said in an interview that they’ve also applied for a FEMA grant to cover the $18 million for security measures. The federal agency announced last year that it would be administering $625 million to host cities for security and preparedness efforts. But with 11 U.S. cities hosting matches, it’s unclear how much money VTA will get from the federal government. The Bay Area Host Committee will be in charge of divvying up any money it receives from FEMA among the cities and agencies involved in World Cup preparations for Santa Clara’s six matches.

With those matches spread out over the course of three weeks, the agency will have higher demand over a longer period of time for the World Cup than it will for the Super Bowl.

Richardson said that it’s “absolutely critical” that the agency receives outside financial support — especially at an “important time for transit.”

“It’s difficult for us because we get placed in a position where there’s an expectation that we’re going to provide this service and everyone knows that every agency in the Bay Area, every agency in the country will continue to struggle with funding needs of just providing necessary service,” he said. “At the same time, what an opportunity for the Bay Area, for San Jose, for VTA to be in the limelight and the spotlight of not only the nation, but the world. You don’t want to not meet that expectation.”

State Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), who serves as the chair of the Bay Area’s legislative caucus, said in the statement that they “are fighting for resources to help prepare for FIFA and all the big sports events coming. We already secured millions to help make sure that the communities are safe and secure. We will keep fighting for more resources.”

Campbell City Councilmember Sergio Lopez, who serves as the chair of VTA’s Board of Directors, said that on an international level, there tends to be “very strong top-down federal support for transit agencies” when it comes to the World Cup. But in the U.S., he said a lot of the burden has been put on local agencies, making their ask to the state even more crucial.

Still, Lopez remains hopeful that all the major sporting events coming to the South Bay this year will be fruitful for its transit system.

“These events, if you do them right, can be an opportunity to make investments that then are there to serve the broader community in the long-term past this specific event,” he said. “I’m hopeful if we do it right there can be some of that.”