At Snapper Services, we’ve been tracking bus on-time performance (OTP) across the eight World Cup host cities visible in the Mosaiq Global Public Transit Index (GPTI). In this analysis, we're focusing on three United States (US) locations visible in the GPTI – Atlanta, Seattle, and Los Angeles (LA) – and comparing snapshots taken on 11th June (the day the tournament began), 25th June (two weeks in), and 29th June (end of the group stage).

One is performing exceptionally well and the other two appear to be improving slightly from a below-average baseline. However, one of these – Atlanta – is showing some strain in its connecting networks.

How we're reading the data

The GPTI tracks first-stop OTP using open real-time data, updated daily against a rolling 28-day window. The 11th June snapshot captured pre-tournament conditions and established a performance baseline. Subsequent snapshots show how each network has responded as match-day demand has built across the group stage. With a 24-hour data delay built into the GPTI, the 29th June snapshot reflects activity up to 27th June – meaning Atlanta's match on 27th June (Congo DR v Uzbekistan) has only just entered the window.

We're focusing on OTP percentage as the primary indicator of change. The GPTI also shows global location rankings, and we've included those for context. But rankings shift daily as the entire index updates – a change in rank can reflect what other networks around the world are doing, as much as what's happening locally. The OTP percentage is the more reliable signal for tracking performance change within the tournament window.

Across all three locations, OTP movements are small – none exceed 1.5 percentage points across the entire tournament window so far. With fluctuations this minimal, the direction of change matters as much as the magnitude. A consistent upward trend of 0.3 percentage points (pp) per snapshot tells a different story to a consistent downward trend of the same size. Throughout this analysis, we're treating direction and consistency of movement as the primary signal, not the size of any individual change.

One methodological note worth stating clearly: the GPTI measures first-stop OTP. A bus that departs on time from its first stop can still accumulate lateness by the end of its route. The figures below are structurally more favourable than whole-journey OTP would be – so bear that in mind while reading.

A note on coverage

The GPTI relies on open GTFS real-time data. Coverage varies by agency and operator, so the figures here reflect the networks that publish open data in each location, not total bus activity.

What locations have we analysed?

For Atlanta, we've looked at Georgia state level, Fulton County – where Mercedes-Benz Stadium sits – and DeKalb County, through which the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) core bus network runs. For Seattle, we've used King County, which covers the city and Lumen Field directly. For Los Angeles, we've used California state level with an additional focus on the Los Angeles sub-region.

Seattle: maintaining exceptional performance

King County is the standout performer across all three snapshots. On 11th June, it recorded 98.7% first-stop OTP. On 25th June, 98.3%. On 29th June, 98.3% again – with all three of Seattle's group stage matches now in the window: USA v Australia on 19th June, Bosnia-Herzegovina v Qatar on 24th June, and Egypt v Iran on 26th June. Three international matches at Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field), including a high-profile USA home game which likely generated additional ridership across the King County network. All resulting in movement of only 0.4 percentage points across all of that demand.

To understand why that matters, it helps to know that 98%+ first-stop OTP is a significant achievement for a large urban bus network. The current first-stop OTP average for the entire United States in the GPTI is 85.1%. Seattle is running at a level that most transport authorities set as an aspirational target, and sustaining it through the surge demand of a major international tournament.

Sound Transit used the World Cup as a hard deadline to complete its Crosslake Connection – a floating light rail bridge connecting two previously separate lines that strengthens the overall public transport network. Combined, Washington State, local cities, and transport agencies spent approximately USD 120 million on World Cup preparations. The King County data suggests that investment is holding up exactly as intended.

“Let’s use this moment, this fleeting moment of global focus, to make lasting local progress,” said Leo Flor, Chief Legacy Officer of Seattle’s local World Cup organising committee.

Los Angeles: a quiet, consistent improvement

Los Angeles is the busiest World Cup venue in the GPTI-covered cities (alongside New York), with five group stage matches played by 27th June. The data shows something counterintuitive: performance has been improving steadily since the tournament began.

On 11th June, the Los Angeles sub-region recorded 77.8% on time. By 25th June, that had edged to 78.5%. By 29th June, 78.6% – a slow upward trend across three snapshots, with the trip count remaining stable at around 332–335,000.

LA Metro has been running buses to SoFi Stadium up to three hours before kickoff, which has likely absorbed the additional demand. The increased operational focus that comes with hosting a major international tournament – additional staffing, tighter schedule monitoring, and proactive intervention – may have also improved first-stop departure discipline. This likely extends across the wider network, not just event services. Whatever the cause, the trend is small but consistent. Los Angeles is absorbing the tournament without visible strain, and improving marginally as it does so.

We should also note that Los Angeles has been preparing to host the 2028 Summer Olympics, with organisers aspiring to make the event “car-free” – a significant ambition for one of the world's most car-dependent cities. As a result, the city has invested heavily in alternative transport, including light rail and bus rapid transit. The World Cup will be a good test of the public transport network – and Los Angeles can look to improve on their OTP by observing Seattle.

San Francisco tells a similar performance story to LA. OTP moved from 81.0% on 11th June to 81.9% on 25th June, thsettling at 81.8% on 29th June – a small improvement overall, but sitting a little lower than the US average of 85.1%.

Atlanta: healthy on the surface with hints of pressure

Atlanta has the most varied data set in this analysis, with performance varying across counties.

At Georgia state level, OTP increased from 77.5% on 11th June to 78.4% on 25th June, then held at 78.5% through 29th June, with late trips falling from 17.4% back to 16.0%. At state level, the picture is one of early pressure absorbed and largely recovered – though the county-level data tells a more nuanced story.

Fulton County – the most direct proxy in the GPTI for MARTA's stadium-adjacent services – has shown a consistent, if modest, improvement across all three snapshots: 77.7% on 11th June, 78.7% on 25th June, 78.8% on 29th June. Late trips have fallen from 17.1% to 15.5%. The core network serving Mercedes-Benz Stadium directly is not just holding – it's performing better than it was before the tournament began.

DeKalb is moving in the opposite direction. OTP has tracked downward across all three snapshots: 75.7%, 75.1%, 74.9%. Late trips have crept up slightly from 20.1% to 20.7%. The movement is gradual, but it is consistent and directional.

The contrast between Fulton and DeKalb is the most striking finding in the Atlanta data. The county where Mercedes-Benz Stadium sits is performing better than it was before the tournament began. Performance in the adjacent county, through which a significant share of MARTA's bus network runs, is trending downward. Whether that reflects knock-on pressure from the tournament, the NextGen network redesign still bedding in across a wider geography, or both, is something the data can raise but not definitively answer.

Atlanta made ambitious bus-specific investments ahead of the tournament – a full NextGen Bus Network redesign offering 15-minute service frequency to ~300% more residents, and a new Better Breeze payment system. Whether those investments are buffering what would otherwise be a sharper decline, or whether the network redesign itself is still bedding in under tournament pressure, is a question the data can raise but not yet fully answer. Atlanta still has matches on 1st and 7th of July, with a semi-final on the 15th, so the fuller picture is still forming.

The early verdict

Three cities. Three different positions at the end of the group stage.

Seattle is maintaining first-stop OTP at a level that is exceptional by any global measure. It has done so with minimal variation across three match days – USA v Australia, Bosnia-Herzegovina v Qatar, and Egypt v Iran – played across eight days at Lumen Field. Los Angeles is improving quietly from a below-average baseline. Atlanta is doing the same, while hinting at pressure in the connecting network – with a semi-final on 15th July still to come.

The pattern across all three points to the same underlying dynamic: networks that entered the tournament with strong operational foundations and specific event planning are absorbing the demand without breaking. Any trends observed are small in magnitude. Where strain is appearing, it's appearing in the connective tissue of the network – the routes and corridors that feed the core – rather than in the services closest to the stadium. The relatively stable transport performance of these cities is an excellent sign for their public transport futures, as demand returns to pre-tournament levels. Any substantial investments to prepare for this global event will benefit the everyday rider for years to come, just as much as a visiting fan.

We'll be pulling the data again after the tournament concludes on 19th July for a full picture of how US and Canadian networks performed across the complete match window. In the meantime, you can check live OTP for all eight covered host cities – and compare your own network – with the GPTI.

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