New $50M Grant Program Created to Fix Traffic for Olympic and World Cup Host Cities

If you live in a major metro area, you know what happens when a huge event rolls into town—traffic goes from bad to impossible. The Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act of 2025 is the federal government’s attempt to get ahead of that chaos by dedicating up to $50 million annually to help host cities manage the transportation nightmare that comes with global sporting events like the Olympics, Paralympics, or the FIFA World Cup.

This bill establishes a new grant program under the Department of Transportation (DOT) specifically for state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments hosting or supporting these “Covered Events.” The core idea is to fund projects that either move people and goods for the event or, crucially, mitigate the adverse transportation effects the event causes. Think dedicated bus lanes, improved rail connections, or better airport access, all within a 100-mile radius of the main venue.

The Global Games, Local Infrastructure

Unlike most grants, this one has a specific allocation formula (SEC. 2). The DOT Secretary first sets aside up to $10 million, divided equally among the host organizations for the earliest upcoming event. Any remaining funds are then split among the hosts for the next subsequent event. This means cities hosting events sooner get a guaranteed early slice of the funding pie, which makes sense since they need to start building now. The funds are authorized at $50 million per fiscal year and remain available until spent, so there’s no rush to use it or lose it.

Here’s the catch, and it’s a smart one: These grants cannot be used to pay for temporary stuff—no funding for pop-up tents, temporary fencing, or submitting a bid to host the event in the first place. The money is strictly for “Eligible Projects” that are transportation-related and likely to provide lasting improvements. For example, an airport sponsor within 100 miles of the event site could use this money to upgrade passenger screening areas or access roads, benefiting regular travelers long after the final whistle blows.

Who Gets the Money and Why It Matters

The list of “Eligible Entities” is broad, including the host city, the state, the local Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), intercity rail operators (like Amtrak), and airport sponsors. This is key because managing an event like the World Cup requires coordination across different agencies. If you’re a commuter in a host city, this means the funds could be used to upgrade the rail line you take daily or improve the traffic flow on the highway you use to get to work—all justified under the banner of preparing for the global influx.

However, the bill gives a lot of power to the Host Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to determine what counts as an “Eligible Project.” While MPOs are supposed to represent regional interests, this level of local control means the interpretation of “mitigate adverse transportation effects” could be pretty broad. If an MPO decides that a major highway expansion is needed to handle event traffic, even if it’s also a general capacity improvement, this federal money could be on the table. This is where the $50 million a year could quietly shift from event mitigation to general infrastructure funding, benefiting host cities but not those who aren't hosting.

Beyond the money, the DOT will also provide significant technical and planning assistance (SEC. 2). This means the federal government will help cities coordinate their transportation plans, develop intermodal strategies (how airports, rail, and buses connect), and even help facilitate programs to temporarily share buses and equipment between cities. For planners, this is huge—it’s not just cash; it’s expertise to ensure the entire system doesn't melt down when millions of people arrive. All of this assistance, however, has a strict timeline: it starts five years before the event and ends 30 days after.