Transportation Plans in Place for World Cup Matches in Foxborough The anticipation for the upcoming World Cup matches in Foxborough is growing as organizers prepare for a surge in visitors. The event, scheduled to take place between June 13 and the quarterfinal match on July 9, will feature teams from Haiti, Scotland, Norway, Morocco, France, England, and Ghana. The stadium, with a capacity of 66,600, is expected to host up to 2 million visitors to the Greater Boston area, coinciding with the July 4 celebrations marking the country’s 250th anniversary and the Sail250 tall ships event, which begins on July 10. Phillip Eng, the interim transportation secretary and MBTA general manager, addressed the challenges of managing the event during a recent appearance on Boston Public Radio. He acknowledged the complexity of the task, stating, “Every time the team presents to me on the World Cup, I get a little nervous. It’s exciting. There is some adrenaline to it that you need to have.” To enhance security and logistics, the state allocated a $3.25 million federal grant to the MBTA, underscoring the agency’s critical role in coordinating transportation for the tournament. Tom Ryan, a senior adviser at A Better City, expressed confidence in the MBTA’s ability to handle the transportation demands, citing the agency’s past success with special-event trains for concerts and the Army-Navy football game. For example, last Saturday, the MBTA transported 1,440 passengers via a sold-out train for Boston Legacy FC’s inaugural match at Gillette Stadium. However, some experts remain skeptical. Jeff Rosenblum, interim executive director of the LivableStreets Alliance, warned that commuter rail services would only cover about one-third of the stadium’s capacity, particularly as match times overlap with peak commuter hours.#world_cup #mbta #foxborough #philip_eng #sail250
