Toronto transit, walking and cycling rose during World Cup match days

Data from the City of Toronto, the TTC and Bike Share shows that more people walked, cycled and used public transit while the city hosted 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. Officials say the shift helped reduce congestion around Toronto Stadium and on nearby expressways. On the first match day, pedestrian activity around the stadium rose 130% and cycling was up 65% compared with the previous four weeks. The city also reported pedestrian activity up 70% on June 17 and combined pedestrian and cycling activity up 140% on June 20. Expressway traffic on those match days was 10% to 30% lower than usual. TTC data showed public transit trips increased on all six match days, including more than 200,000 trips on routes serving FIFA Fan Fest during Toronto’s opening game, compared with just over 137,000 on the same day a year earlier. Bike Share also reported higher overall use during the tournament period, with about 2,000 rides handled through valet locations around the stadium on each match day.