Euphenie Andre
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
As the second FIFA World Cup match of the week wrapped up Saturday, many fans were still taking extra precautions when traveling from the FIFA Fan Festival to Arrowhead Stadium after transportation issues earlier in the week left some supporters frustrated.
To see whether travel conditions had improved, an ABC 17 reporter made the trip from Fan Fest to the stadium five hours ahead of kickoff.
Among those waiting was an Ecuador supporter who said she got in line at noon because she did not want to risk missing kickoff.
“Because we have to be there in the stadium,” she said. “It’s our game. We’re fanatics. We were told to be here at least three hours before the game.”
The fan had already been waiting for two hours before volunteers began loading passengers onto buses. While shuttle boarding was originally scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m., officials began loading fans more than an hour early to help move crowds to the stadium.
By 2 p.m., hundreds of fans had already formed a line for the shuttle service, and the crowd continued to grow throughout the afternoon.
The shuttle ride itself takes about 25 minutes each way. From the time of arrival at Fan Fest to reaching the area outside the stadium gates, the entire trip takes nearly an hour. That includes waiting in line, boarding the bus and making the final walk toward the stadium. Because fans were arriving several hours before kickoff, lines remained manageable and moved generously.
One driver with Village Travel said the company had at least 20 buses rotating through the shuttle route. The driver estimated that more than 120 buses were operating overall to help transport fans to and from the stadium.
Even with improvements in shuttle operations, fans still faced a lengthy walk after being dropped off. The distance from the shuttle drop-off location to the stadium gates is more than a mile and could take about 25 minutes on foot.
Fans said reports of transportation delays during Tuesday’s Argentina match influenced their plans.
“We heard stories about Argentina and traffic problems and issues, so we thought we’d just get here early,” said Kansas resident Rod Hann.
More international visitors took the same approach. Alaxandre Den Ouden, traveled from Curaçao, said she arrived roughly two hours to the gates before kickoff to avoid any potential delays.
Stadium gates, originally scheduled to open at 4 p.m., opened about 15 minutes early, helping move fans into the stadium sooner.
A worker stationed at the stadium entrance told ABC 17 News that FIFA opted to continue to use just two entry points for Saturday’s match, compared to the eight gates typically opened during Kansas City Chiefs games.
Despite spending hours traveling and waiting in line, supporters said the opportunity to attend a World Cup match made the extra time and effort worthwhile.
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