A recent article in WIRED explored how autonomous vehicles could shape transportation during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is expected to draw millions of visitors to North America. The article examined the role of Waymo’s driverless taxi service, which plans to serve six World Cup host cities, including Los Angeles.
Adam Millard-Ball, professor of urban planning at the UCLA Luskin, noted that autonomous vehicles will face many of the same logistical challenges as traditional ride-hail services when large crowds arrive and depart from stadiums simultaneously.
“There’s never going to be a perfectly orderly process with no congestion,” Millard-Ball told WIRED. “Geometrically, you’re not going to be able to have ‘front door’ pickups for everybody.”
While autonomous vehicles may improve efficiency through fleet coordination and organized pickup systems, Millard-Ball explained that they cannot overcome the physical constraints of limited road space. The article concludes that public transportation, including trains, buses and shuttle services, will continue to play a critical role in moving large numbers of people during major events.
