Major events can expose weaknesses in a city’s transportation system within hours. Tens of thousands of people arrive at the same destination, traffic volumes spike, parking fills, rideshare demand surges and roads that normally handle routine commuter traffic are forced to absorb stadium-sized crowds.
A study by Attorney Brian White examined traffic conditions, driver behavior, transportation resilience and congestion surrounding major event venues across North America. Although the analysis was initially built around cities that hosted the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the findings offer a broader look at which metropolitan areas are best equipped to manage massive traffic surges and which remain most vulnerable to gridlock.
The study found substantial differences between cities. Foxborough/Boston earned the highest transportation score at 8.01 out of 10, followed by Houston at 7.66, while Los Angeles ranked among the weakest U.S. locations with a score of 4.76.
The underlying problem extends far beyond sporting events. Nearly 79% of U.S. drivers said navigating traffic during a major event is more stressful than driving on a typical day, while 76% viewed large-scale events as a road safety risk.
Some Cities Handle Traffic Surges Far Better Than Others
The city rankings were built using a composite transportation score that measured four major factors: congestion, idle time, safety and network resilience.
Traffic conditions around stadiums accounted for 60% of the assessment, while conditions across the broader metropolitan area made up the remaining 40%.
Each city received a score between zero and 10, with a higher score indicating stronger transportation performance.
Highest-Scoring Major Event Locations
| Venue and Metro Area | Transportation Score |
| Gillette Stadium, Foxborough/Boston | 8.01 |
| NRG Stadium, Houston | 7.66 |
| Estadio Azteca, Mexico City | 7.29 |
Foxborough/Boston was the only location to score above 8. Houston ranked second, benefiting from its experience managing large events despite significant congestion across the broader metropolitan area.
At the opposite end of the rankings, several major cities showed much greater vulnerability to traffic disruption.
Lowest-Scoring Major Event Locations
| Venue and Metro Area | Transportation Score |
| BMO Field, Toronto | 3.99 |
| BC Place, Vancouver | 4.46 |
| SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles | 4.76 |
| Lumen Field, Seattle | 5.39 |
| Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta | 5.44 |
| Estadio BBVA, Monterrey | 5.59 |
| Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia | 5.69 |
| MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey | 5.80 |
| Estadio Akron, Guadalajara | 6.03 |
| Hard Rock Stadium, Miami | 6.78 |
Among U.S. locations, Los Angeles recorded the lowest score of those listed, reflecting the severity of congestion surrounding SoFi Stadium and across the wider metropolitan area.
Congestion near the venue reached 59.8%, leaving the city particularly susceptible to lengthy traffic delays when tens of thousands of people arrive or depart within the same period.
Major Events Can Cut Traffic Speeds by More Than Half
The rankings illustrate how quickly ordinary transportation patterns can deteriorate when a major event takes place.
Around MetLife Stadium, traffic can begin building four to six hours before an event starts.
Comparable events have increased trip volumes by more than 50% while reducing average speeds on major approach roads from 44 mph to just 20 mph.
That represents a decline of more than half.
The disruption extends beyond spectators.
Major events produced average work-related travel delays of 27 minutes in the United States, compared with 29 minutes in Canada and 41 minutes in Mexico.
More than three-quarters of U.S. drivers also reported concerns about wasting fuel while sitting in event-related traffic.
Emergency travel can be affected as well. Heavy congestion and overwhelmed parking systems can increase hospital travel times by an estimated 3 minutes and 31 seconds during major local events.
Those few minutes can take on considerably greater significance when emergency medical response is involved.
Driver Behavior Adds Another Layer of Risk
Road capacity is not the only factor determining how well a city handles congestion.
Driver behavior can intensify the safety risks created when crowded roadways, unfamiliar routes and traffic restrictions collide.
The study identified notable differences across several states.
Massachusetts recorded distracted-driving rates 18% above the average among the areas examined, the highest level in the group.
Texas stood out for speed. High-speed driving was nearly 60% more common in Texas than in the other host states analyzed.
California showed another problem: sudden braking occurred 25% more frequently than in other host states.
Missouri performed better across the major behavioral indicators and showed fewer concerns involving the driving behaviors examined.
These differences illustrate why congestion cannot be measured solely by how slowly traffic moves. A heavily congested corridor can also produce abrupt braking, lane changes, distraction and aggressive driving as motorists attempt to navigate delays.
Los Angeles Shows the Cost of Severe Gridlock
Few cities demonstrate the financial cost of major-event congestion as clearly as Los Angeles.
Around SoFi Stadium, official park-and-ride prices could begin at $55 and exceed $100, while resale parking for major events reached between $256 and $454.
That means simply bringing a vehicle into the area can cost hundreds of dollars before fuel, tolls or other travel expenses are considered.
Traffic delays create additional indirect costs through missed work, appointments and travel connections.
For many drivers, public transportation can therefore be less expensive and more predictable than attempting to reach a major venue by car.
However, the feasibility of that option depends heavily on the city.
Some stadiums have direct rail connections and expanded services, while others rely much more heavily on buses, charter transportation and private vehicles.
Houston’s Transportation Network Ranked Among the Strongest
Houston provided one of the more positive findings in the study.
NRG Stadium earned a 7.66 transportation score, placing Houston second among all locations analyzed.
The city benefited from an established major-event transportation network and access to METRORail.
During the 2026 tournament period, the Red Line served NRG Stadium through the Stadium Park/Astrodome Station, running approximately every six to 12 minutes from 5 a.m. until 1 a.m.
Houston also expanded park-and-ride, airport, bus and special-event services designed to reduce the number of private vehicles entering the stadium district.
The results are particularly notable because Houston itself is no stranger to congestion. The ranking indicates that a city can have substantial everyday traffic problems while still developing effective strategies for managing temporary surges around a specific major venue.
Rideshare Demand Can Create Its Own Gridlock
Avoiding personal vehicles does not necessarily eliminate transportation problems.
When tens of thousands of people leave a stadium simultaneously, rideshare systems can experience extraordinary demand.
As many as 70,000 spectators may exit a major venue at approximately the same time, producing long waits, overloaded pickup zones, app connectivity problems and sharp increases in fares.
Comparable major events have produced rideshare surge pricing of up to 400% within two miles of a stadium.
Within five miles, fares can rise between 200% and 250%.
At AT&T Stadium, three major rideshare surge periods were identified: approximately 75 minutes before an event, during halftime and for up to 40 minutes after it ends.
During the most severe demand periods, a ride that normally costs $35 can increase to between $120 and $150.
Distance can make a substantial difference. During events at MetLife Stadium, walking away from the venue reduced surge pricing from 3.2 times normal rates to 1.6 times, saving riders approximately $70.
Public Transportation Can Determine Whether a City Moves or Stalls
Cities with strong rail and transit connections have a critical advantage when major crowds arrive.
Philadelphia expanded service on its Broad Street Line, which is capable of moving approximately 15,000 passengers per hour around major events.
Dallas-Fort Worth expanded light rail and Trinity Railway Express services, while Boston added bus, subway and special stadium transportation.
In Houston and Atlanta, additional transportation services were introduced without raising regular fares.
The scale of transportation investment demonstrates how much planning is required to prevent major events from overwhelming surrounding roads.
U.S. cities received $846 million through event-related grant funding, while another $100.3 million was invested in public transportation improvements.
Those investments were designed around a single global sporting event, but many of the improvements can continue benefiting commuters, visitors and future large-scale gatherings.
Gridlock Is Increasingly a Safety Issue, Not Just an Inconvenience
The findings compiled by Attorney Brian White show that major-event congestion extends well beyond longer commutes.
Trip volumes can rise more than 50%, average speeds can fall from 44 mph to 20 mph, rideshare prices can surge 400% and traffic can begin building six hours before an event starts.
At the same time, heavily congested environments bring together several additional risks: distracted driving, speeding, sudden braking, unfamiliar routes, road closures, pedestrians, rideshare vehicles and emergency responders attempting to move through the same limited road network.
The cities best positioned to manage those conditions are not necessarily the places with the least everyday traffic. Instead, the study suggests that transportation resilience, public transit capacity, traffic management and the ability to recover quickly from sudden demand may matter just as much as baseline congestion.
For major U.S. cities, the question is therefore no longer simply how congested their roads are on an ordinary weekday.
It is how well those roads hold up when tens of thousands of additional people arrive at once.