06/03/2026
The city is awash in football fever! Yes, most of the world calls it football, not soccer, as it is played with a ball using one’s feet, not that other game that is played with an egg-shaped thing thrown mostly with one’s hands. For clarity, we can call that game “Hand-Egg”, saving Football for what nature intended.
Regardless of what you call it, it will have a big impact on this city … games, festivals, celebrations, consolations by locals and tourists alike. It should be an excellent time! That is, unless you plan to drive anywhere.
I’m not sure if this is a proverb or a dad-joke … everyone loves driving but everyone also hates other people driving … especially if those other people are in cars are in front of them. Joke or not, it’s 💯 true.
Even more than the Taylor Swift Concert of 2025, the city has been preparing for this for ages (yes, that’s part of the reason you’ve tripped over extra construction sites lately). There is a plan to move more people, well, swiftly.
Bring on the trains, the subways, the busses, the bikes … plus good old-fashioned walking. If driving, load up with a carpool (or should we call it car-maxxing now?) and keep any footy conversations friendly if you cheer for opposite teams. These are the ways you can move more people much faster in less space.
Unless we bulldozed half the buildings in Toronto, there would never be enough road space to fit everyone in a car, especially not for a massive event like the World Cup. That’s why we need a healthy dose of those alternatives. Let’s start with Transit and what improvements we can expect (full details on TTC FIFA World Cup) and GO-Train UP-Express FIFAWC)
* Subway Boosts: see up to 40% more trains on Lines 1 and 2 plus extended hours on match days.
* Go-Train and UP Express Boosts: From June 10-July 6, ramps up to every 15 minutes before and after games, more frequent service generally that goes later too, plus more Wayfinder staff to help you.
* Bus and Streetcar Boosts: enjoy 30% to over 50% more service, some going every 5 minutes on key routes
* Late and Overnight Transit: Temporary overnight streetcars (311 and 309) will have your back and get you back from late-night celebrations. GO-Trains and UP will also have later service.
* Dedicated Shuttles: on match day to Exhibition Place.
Travel Time Savers: new RapidTO dedicated transit lanes on Dufferin and Bathurst streets save up to 7 minutes per trip.
For shorter trips, biking may be a good way to go. It’s my usual commute and regularly gets me to work faster than I could ever dream of driving (plus a great excuse for enjoying a match-day pizza slice, not that anyone needs an excuse). It happens to be Bike Month as we speak, so break out the 2 wheels.
The World Cup should be an amazing celebration, no matter what team wins. If you leave the car at home, you'll win too.
BTW, how fitting that I wrote most of this story on my phone while riding the subway to a conference. Talk about inspo on the ride.
