Shelling out $150 for a roundtrip train ride to the FIFA World Cup games? Not in Atlanta.
New Jersey Transit stunned matchgoers last week when it announced the 15-minute ride between New York Penn Station and MetLife Stadium will cost $150 roundtrip, an additional expense for fans on top of record-setting ticket prices.
The transit agency, which said the upcharge is to cover the actual costs of providing rail service to fans, isn’t the only one increasing fares. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is raising the cost of travel to Gillette Stadium in the Boston suburbs to $80, four times the regular fare.
But MARTA to Mercedes-Benz Stadium? On game day it’s $2.50 one way, same as any other day.
Atlanta, with five train stations in walking distance to the stadium, has always been better positioned for fan travel than many of the other U.S. host cities. Some stadiums have limited or no transit access and will be relying on charter buses to get visitors to matches, like AT&T Stadium outside Dallas.
Now, Atlanta’s transit fare will also set the city apart.
“MARTA will be the easiest and most affordable way to get to the matches and to major fan events,” Interim General Manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt said in a statement. “We’re urging all supporters of the beautiful game to let MARTA drive them to the World Cup festivities this summer.”
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
Credit: abbey.cutrer@ajc.com
The tournament is big business: FIFA has estimated it will earn $11 billion in revenue. But most of the costs associated with holding a successful tournament fall to host cities, which must provide for all safety and security measures in and around the stadiums and the FIFA fan festival locations.
Host cities are also on the hook for transportation costs, and some cash-strapped transit agencies don’t expect to be able to cover their costs. NJ Transit has a $200 million deficit and its CEO told The New York Times its FIFA pricing isn’t “profit making or gouging — we are trying to recover the cost.”
Atlanta officials haven’t said what the costs could be to the city, at least some of which will be recouped through federal grants, but MARTA is estimating its World Cup expenses will run roughly $12.5 million, spokesperson Payson Schwin said.
Atlanta will host eight matches across June and July, along with the official FIFA Fan Festival downtown and watch parties across the region happening in cities with MARTA train access. On those match days, MARTA plans to run trains every five minutes, in addition to keeping a fleet buses on standby to supplement service if there are any rail delays.
In all, MARTA expects to spend about $9.1 million on operations and $3.4 million on safety and security. The agency is defraying some costs by relying on several hundred volunteers to serve as transit ambassadors who will help visitors navigate the system, Schwin said.
A $3.4 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security will cover security costs. MARTA also anticipates receiving about $8 million in Congressional funding for the extra service it will run, though the exact amount is still being determined.
The grants fall short of covering MARTA’s projected costs. But with fare revenue, MARTA should break even and might even make money on the games.
MARTA is expecting an additional 45,000 riders on match days. Their $5 roundtrip fares could total $1.8 million.
That’s not counting on additional ridership and fare revenue expected as travelers use MARTA to get into the city from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
While fare gates are open now as MARTA transitions to a new fare payment system, fares will be required during the World Cup. The new fare gate equipment, which features a tap-to-pay option common in many larger cities, will be installed in high-ridership stations before the tournament begins.
New Jersey’s and Massachusetts’ transit fares are the highest that have been announced so far.
In Philadelphia, transit rides from the stadium after the game will be free thanks to a sponsorship with Airbnb, the city’s transit agency announced this week.
Along with Atlanta, cities like Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles are keeping fare prices the same. Kansas City, which has limited transit access to Arrowhead Stadium, is running shuttles for $15 round trip.
Unlike in Philadelphia, no outside entity has yet approached MARTA to discuss sponsoring free fares, Schwin said. But raising fares, or the fees at MARTA parking lots where many fans are expected to park, wasn’t considered. “MARTA remains committed to accessibility and will maintain its affordable fare structure during the tournament,” he said in a statement.
While many out-of-towners are likely to try the system for the first time, MARTA also hopes to attract locals who don’t regularly ride.
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