The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) facilitated the travel of 400,000 fans and 11 teams through Kansas City during six World Cup matches and 19 days of fan events.
The achievement was driven by coordinated traffic management and expanded capacity of the Missouri River Runner Amtrak service, which served as a “vital multimodal option for thousands of global visitors and Missourians alike,” according to a MoDOT press release.
To prepare for increased demand, the Missouri River Runner added extra railcars to its daily passenger rail service between St. Louis and Kansas City. The MoDOT-sponsored route, operated by Amtrak, received additional railcars through a partnership with the states of Michigan and Illinois.
The service carried more than 31,000 passengers and generated $1.6 million in revenue, representing a 14.2% increase in ridership and a 23% increase in revenue compared with the previous year, according to the press release.
Travel throughout the tournament was coordinated through Missouri’s multi-agency Transportation Operations Center and State Emergency Operations Center. Staff monitored changing conditions, coordinated emergency response, identified optimal travel routes and provided real-time traveler information on match days.
MoDOT’s emergency response operators responded to 650 incidents across the six match days, including disabled vehicles, collisions and debris on the roadway.
“The dedicated men and women of MoDOT that provided emergency assistance and staffed operations centers throughout the World Cup made this event possible,” said MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger. “And the preparation and work to efficiently move these travelers extended beyond our highways, ensuring multimodal options for a global audience.”
Source: MoDOT
