Behind the Scenes of Game Day: How ORCA Transit Agencies Keep Puget Sound Moving During World Cup

Seattle has been electric as a host city for the 2026 World Cup! What you might not see are the people working every day to make sure thousands of fans and locals can get where they need to be throughout the tournament. So, what exactly does it take to keep a major metropolitan region moving during a global event like this? 

Behind the scenes, ORCA transit agencies have been working together to prepare for this summer of soccer. From expanded service to new payment options, transit agencies are stepping up to more efficiently and safely move our communities around the Puget Sound region. 

Here’s a look at how Seattle-area transit agencies are welcoming the world! 

Your Match Official for Puget Sound: ORCA 

Ahead of World Cup, ORCA worked with transit agencies around the region to:

• Launch Tap to Pay, allowing riders to more easily pay for transit on many services using a credit or debit card already in their wallet. 

• The 3-Day Puget Pass launched for the summer of soccer allowing riders to purchase one pass which allows for unlimited transit rides across three days on many services. 

• ORCA worked closely with agency partners to add fare payment information to stations and terminals expecting a high volume of riders. This messaging aimed to reduce lines at ticket vending machines and help visitors understand how to pay for transit in the Seattle-area. 

• On game days, ORCA has a full-system monitoring plan in action, along with 24/7 emergency support to make sure systems are functioning properly for riders. 

Your North Sound Strikers 

Community Transit: 

• Working to connect riders in Snohomish County to Link light rail, Sounder trains, and Everett Transit shuttles so they can attend matches and watch party events around the region. 

• To help get riders into Seattle for games, Community Transit operates 19 Community Transit bus routes and five Sound Transit bus routes connecting to Link light rail in Lynnwood, Mountlake Terrace, and Shoreline. Community Transit added a new connection to the Link 2 Line in Bellevue as well as route 908 which can take riders to the Eastside. 

• To help riders traveling to late-night matches and activities in Seattle, Community Transit’s Zip Alderwood Shuttle is running special extended hours for the entire tournament. Zip is operating until 2 a.m. each day through July 12 to provide light rail connections. 

Everett Transit: 

• Everett Transit provided fare-free shuttles to four Official SeattleFWC26 Fan Zone Watch Parties at the Port of Everett’s Boxcar Park, and nearly 5,200 rides have been provided on those shuttles so far. 

• Everett Transit helped facilitate connecting riders to matches at Seattle Stadium from Everett Station via Sounder Train and Sound Transit buses. 

• Everett Transit neighborhood service made it easier for Everett residents to connect to additional modes of transit, such as the Link light rail, Sounder trains, and buses. 

• Everett Station served as a valuable transit hub throughout the tournament and provided free parking for residents and visitors.  

• Everett Transit and Everett Station dressed for the occasion with a wrapped shuttle bus featuring Official Fan Zone artwork, banners, flags, sidewalk decals, bike locker wraps, and more! 

Your City Center Midfielders 

King County Metro: 

• With Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field) located in the heart of King County, King County Metro jumped into action to help bring regional transportation agencies across Puget Sound together to coordinate planning and preparations for the big games.

• King County Metro launched “Metro Connects the World,” an outreach campaign aimed at encouraging use of public transit throughout the tournament and connecting riders and visitors with resources to make their journeys smoother.

• With thousands of visitors in Downtown Seattle, King County Metro increased bus service, and added a new Waterfront Shuttle and special Match Day shuttles. The Match Day Shuttle makes it easier for fans to connect from the Seattle Center to celebration zones and the Stadium. And keep an eye out for the fun, green-wrapped Waterfront Shuttle connecting to Seattle Center, the waterfront and Chinatown-International District and all the landmarks in between all summer long – with free rides sponsored by SeattleFWC26 and its Host City Supporters.

• Knowing how much riders love special-edition ORCA cards, King County Metro partnered with 4Culture to lead the efforts on designing a SEA26 ORCA card. Read more about the design process.

• More details about Metro’s bus connections and shuttles are on the Sea26 Soccer web page.

Sound Transit: 

• The Link light rail is at the heart of the Seattle games, and Sound Transit worked hard to make the journey safe and reliable for locals and visitors throughout the tournament. 

• Sound Transit plays a key role in connecting Seattle to transit agencies across the region. The newly opened Link light rail 2 Line also helped connect folks on the Eastside to Seattle for tournament festivities, increasing transit options for many. 

• To help manage the flow of crowds, Sound Transit worked on wayfinding including preferred station routes to reduce crowding in popular stations and increased signage in and around stations. 

• Accessibility is a priority! Light rail stations featured accessible path signage, new priority boarding zones to help riders with disabilities board trains, and increased usage of accessible wayfinding mobile apps to help with navigation. 

• Sound Transit expanded security teams to ensure a safe, clean, and welcoming ride for all, ensuring that security teams had 24/7 connections to local police, fire, and emergency operations teams around the region. 

• To help riders in stations, Sound Transit deployed a robust staff ambassador program utilizing every Sound Transit employee to ensure staff was available at key stations throughout the tournament to help answer passenger questions. 

Your Wings to the West 

Kitsap Transit: 

• With an official Fan Zone in Bremerton, Kitsap Transit worked to connect riders to the watch party and across the Sound to Seattle for games. 

• With so many events happening across the region, the ability to reliably connect between Kitsap County and Seattle was top of mind. Kitsap Transit expanded bus and ferry service to meet this need throughout the tournament. 

• To help assist customers on game days, Kitsap Transit extended customer service hours and added extra staff at transit terminals. 

• Three transit centers in the Bremerton-Silverdale corridor, including the Bremerton Transportation Center, got some major upgrades to help people find their way. Kitsap Transit installed new real-time information screens, new e-paper displays, and wayfinding signage to help direct fans to transit and watch parties. 

Washington State Ferries: 

• Washington State Ferries prepared for increased ridership throughout the tournament by ensuring relief vessels were on standby throughout the games, and folks could reliably cross the Sound to get to festivities around the region. 

• Ferries expanded staffing for deck crews, engine crews, terminal attendants, and customer service centers. 

• Safety is a priority, with additional security onboard and at busy terminals. 

Your Defensive Line of the South Sound 

Pierce Transit: 

• Pierce Transit worked to connect riders in the South to the official Fan Zone in Tacoma as well as to regional transit modes to access matches in Seattle.  

• Pierce Transit’s Fan Zone Express service launched especially for the tournament and offered riders a convenient, free way to connect from Tacoma Dome Station and the Tacoma Dome to the Fan Zone at the Puyallup Tribal Headquarters. The Fan Zone Express provided 12 days of service to support access to watch parties and celebratory cultural events at the Fan Zone. 

• Pierce Transit oversaw wayfinding improvements at Tacoma Dome Station, including installation of real-time arrival and directional signage, making it easier for Seattle-bound riders to access connecting modes of transit including Sounder trains and Sound Transit Express buses. 

• Trip Planner apps were used by soccer fans to plan their rides to Tacoma and Seattle events, since Pierce Transit’s Fan Zone Express schedules and regional transit schedules were included in data feeds.   

• Pierce Transit employees helped passengers find their way around at local transit boarding locations. 

ORCA is proud to be part of a regional transportation network that keeps Puget Sound connected. While you’re out there enjoying Seattle’s summer of soccer, keep an eye out for some of the work featured above by the transit agencies who keep our region moving!

Enjoy the games, ORCA Pod!