HNTB_Think Issue 26

Issue 26 | 2025

Scalable Infrastructure for Large Events

Scalable Infrastructure for Large Events

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Every year, cities and counties across America compete to host large, high-profile public events, such as major athletic competitions, international conventions and iconic concert tours. The winning contenders recognize the potential to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, inject millions of dollars into local economies and enjoy prestige and media focus. Success requires a monumental effort to dynamically scale transportation systems to give visitors a worldclass experience in the short term, while ensuring that infrastructure investments add value to local communities over the long term.

Many transportation agencies nationwide have successfully navigated and continue to navigate this complex, dual challenge. Here are some planning and operational themes observed among host entities across the country.

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Commence Planning ASAP — Proactivity in planning varies based on a team’s previous big-event experience. However, agencies that lay the groundwork for collaboration early by creating cross-agency committees, quantifying resources and contingency planning feel more prepared for managing large-scale events.

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Rally All Players — Large event footprints can be vast, involving numerous pop-up fan events and minor venues with niche requirements. Public-sector air, rail and transit systems may serve as the backbone of mobility, while private-sector charter buses, fleets, rideshares and general aviation can fill gaps and offer visitors multiple options and price points.

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Security and Communication — Successful hosts work with law enforcement agencies to optimize security while providing visitors with appropriate levels of access. When an event attracts

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large numbers of international visitors, planners strive to simplify wayfinding and offer digital tools to minimize disorientation due to language barriers. They also keep locals informed about unusual traffic congestion that arises from construction or during events.

In this issue of THINK, we explore how transportation leaders prepare for large public events by investing in scalable infrastructure and services, with an emphasis on: •

delivering a seamless and memorable experience for visitors through responsive mobility options;

Federal, State and Local Alignment — The most momentous events require tight coordination across all levels of government. For example, next summer the 2026 FIFA World CupTM tournament will be held in North America, with matches in 11 U.S. cities. This may represent the largest sporting event in history.

Accordingly, the White House has formed a task force to coordinate federal involvement in the nationwide event, with participation of various executive departments, law enforcement and security agencies.

Vertical integration of agencies and jurisdictions is crucial.

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orchestrating a broad group of public and private transportation providers to deliver service; and

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strategically investing in assets and capabilities that will elevate local mobility long after the events.

Successful host cities invest in transportation enhancements that are scalable and able to rise to meet shortterm capacity demands while efficiently serving community needs in the long term. Large events bring vast numbers of people together for an extraordinary experience. The added value, for visitors and locals alike, arises from a shared passion for excellence — in sports, music, congregation, celebration and everyday quality of life.

Rick Hathaway, Director of the New Orleans Department of Public Works, explains how his team strategically accelerated infrastructure improvements across the city as it hosted Super Bowl LIX in February 2025.

See article on page 4.

Michael Morris, Director of Transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, discusses how collaboration and innovation are driving infrastructure enhancements as the region readies to host nine games of the FIFA 2026 World Cup™ next summer.

See article on page 8.

Fran O’Connor, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation, illuminates strategies for hosting next summer’s FIFA 2026 World Cup™ games and Final Match.

See article on page 12.

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Super Bowl City As New Orleans hosted its 11th NFL Super Bowl game, the city fortified its transportation infrastructure to welcome a hundred thousand football fans — and savor its moment in the world’s spotlight.

By Rick Hathaway | Director, New Orleans Department of Public Works

When Super Bowl LIX kicked off February 9, 2025, it was a major milestone for New Orleans in several ways. It will mark the 11th time the city has served as host of a Super Bowl, tying a record held by our friends to the east in Miami.

Those who attended enjoyed the event in the extensively renovated Caesars Superdome, which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary. Also, the event shined a light on recent investments in the city’s transportation network, which delivered a smoother, more efficient experience for these attendees and many thousands of other fans, friends and families.

New Orleans has earned a reputation as the nation’s premier “host city,” with hundreds of public events that in 2023 attracted more than 40 million visitors, who spent more than $18 billion in the city. To support all those visitors and to maintain the city’s charm for our residents, planning and implementing transportation improvements is essential. Our event-driven construction projects were on tight deadlines, but they remake infrastructure in ways that will serve residents for decades to come.

Tackling Poydras Executing much-needed improvements to the city’s main business artery — the mile-long Poydras Street — was a critical priority for our Super Bowl preparations. Poydras Street extends west from the Mississippi River, past office towers, hotels, restaurants and residential buildings fronting the Superdome. It is key to economic vitality for the entire metro region and is a regional employment hub for southeast Louisiana as a whole.

Poydras has been a thoroughfare for more than two centuries, but only in the late 1970s was it updated and widened to integrate the newly built Superdome into the cityscape. Since that time, no significant upgrades had been endeavored on Poydras until this year. Our team worked with contractors to accelerate work on

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this street because it is the gateway to the game and the backbone of mobility in that part of the city. Importantly, the Poydras improvements were among the NFL’s must-haves as they collaborated with the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee, which is led by the New Orleans Saints and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation.

The Committee and the League were keen on creating an outstanding experience for visitors, with safety and efficiency at the forefront.

Working on Poydras involved the same traffic management challenges facing any major downtown construction project. In our worksite situation, we have a Superdome that constantly holds events of various sizes, so we cannot seal Poydras off completely without disrupting mobility and event access.

The largest events in a typical year are New Orleans Saints football games, which required us to clean up roadways and remove barricades to make way for heavy traffic before and after the game, then shift back into construction mode.

We also, somewhat uniquely, must deal with the threat of damaging winds and flooding from hurricanes and other major storms.

As soon as a significant storm enters the Gulf of Mexico, the federal Homeland Security office here in City Hall sets up the Emergency Operations Center, and convenes twice-daily meetings with city department heads and representatives from the armed forces and other federal agencies. If the threat level rises, our team executes a plan to secure construction sites before the storm is expected to hit us.

For example, with Hurricane Francine in September 2024, our teams filled open excavation areas with rock to preserve usable escape routes for vehicles.

We also removed wooden barriers and other objects that high winds can turn into deadly projectiles.

Our contractors are accustomed to such circumstances, and are very responsive and experienced at securing the work sites. Their contracts allow for short-term disruptions like this in the project schedules and, in many cases, work on affected roads can resume in just a few days.

In late January, construction activities halted as the city faced the most significant snowfall in 130 years. The city redirected four

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construction companies completing infrastructure work to plow snow on major streets across the city, including downtown, the French Quarter and extending down to the airport to allow NFL staff to access the city. Within three days of the snowstorm, the city was open for business, ready to welcome SuperBowl attendees.

Expanded Footprints, Rising Expectations The footprint of the 2025 Super Bowl was much larger than that of the 2013 event, which was largely restricted to the Superdome vicinity. This time around, there were companion events, all of which highlighted infrastructure repair needs. If we saw that certain streets were going to be used extensively for getting people to and from events, we added these streets to our project list.

Many vehicle parking facilities were available within a half-mile of the Superdome, from numerous ground-level lots to large parking garages. To meet the needs of thousands of walkers, we strategically repaired sidewalks and crossings to improve safety. We engaged small business/DBE contractors to handle sidewalk repairs downtown and in the French Quarter.

We know that not everyone can, or wants to, walk, so we had shuttle buses circling throughout the area. Also, for the first time, we created a rideshare hub at a public park in front of City Hall, about a block away from the Superdome.

There was music and food at this rideshare hub for tourists’ convenience.

Our team also responded to mobility requirements related to high-profile visitors and exclusive events. For example, we ran shuttles from the Superdome over to the LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, which hosted invitation-only events in their parking lots.

North of the Superdome, we worked on improvements to a street in the Gentilly area, which connects our historic Lakefront Airport to the Interstate 10 highway. We understand the importance of making a great impression on these high-profile guests so they’ll return again and again, bring world-class entertainment to the city, host private events and contribute to our local economy.

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A terrorist attack on Bourbon Street on January 1 necessitated a change to our security approach around the Superdome and in the French Quarter. As concerns heightened, the Department of Public Works obtained and staged concrete barriers and closed roadways as part of the increased security measures following the attack.

Close collaboration between departments was leveraged to ensure a safe and secure environment for residents and visitors.

Super-Gras Fusion Preparing for major events in a city that hosts them continuously is both an honor and a challenge. For cities getting ready for their largest-ever public events, I humbly offer food for thought: •

Start As Early As Possible — Knowing funding needs to be secured for any

project, it’s best to start as early as possible to align finances and resources.

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Think Broadly, Get Others Involved From the outset, think about the constituencies you’ll need to engage.

Ask others about who should come to the table. Early alignment keeps project coordination from fraying.

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Line Up Your Resources — Have resources in mind. There are a limited number of contractors in New Orleans, and we called on both the largest and smallest. They’ve stepped up to keep our projects on track with the quality we expect.

We are confident that we have our infrastructure ready to provide an excellent experience to our many visitors from around the world.

Clinton “Rick” Hathaway is the Director of the Department of Public Works for the City of New Orleans, Louisiana. Appointed in December 2023, he oversees five divisions that are responsible for maintaining about 1,547 miles of streets and 149 bridges in the city. Born in the city, with roots in the Lower Ninth Ward, Rick leverages his professional background in civil engineering and construction management to improve the city’s public infrastructure.

Prior to assuming this role, Rick served as a transportation section manager and construction program manager for a national engineering consulting firm. He also worked for the city from 1982 to 1994 in what was then called the Department of Streets.

He graduated from the University of New Orleans in 1982 with a degree in Civil Engineering.

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Optimizing Infrastructure and Service Excellence in Texas Dallas-Fort Worth is building upon its big-game experience and proven transportation innovation as it prepares to host nine games of the FIFA 2026 World Cup™

By Michael Morris | Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) 2026 World Cup™ is coming to North America, and the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area will be hosting more than nine matches — the greatest number awarded to any city in North America. Hosting the world’s largest athletic competition will be the biggest opportunity yet for a region already accustomed to handling some of the most significant events on the sports calendar.

In 1994, the last time the World Cup was on home soil, the Cotton Bowl in Dallas hosted six matches, and we also have hosted Super Bowl XLV, the first College Football Playoff national championship game, NCAA men’s and women’s Final Fours and many other events. The professionals who organize special events work closely with transportation providers, law enforcement and city, regional and state partners to ensure a positive fan experience.

Our region has invested in world-class facilities and a transportation system capable of moving not only millions of residents every day, but also the massive number of visitors associated with these complex events. In 2026, each of the nine World Cup matches in North Texas is likely to draw more than 100,000 spectators.

This will be like hosting 10 Super Bowls, when you include all the related events.

There will be watch parties, team training basecamps and media to cover the matches for fans globally, putting our region in the spotlight. This has required us to do a lot of groundwork in a short amount of time.

For example, when we hosted Super Bowl XLV, we worked closely with the limousine and charter bus industries as well as general aviation airports to make sure the teams, their fans and VIPs could move about the region safely and reliably.

The trusted partnerships forged during the Super Bowl planning were crucial in helping us land and execute subsequent events.

Even with our many decades of demonstrated success in handling major events, we must deliver specific infrastructure and service enhancements to meet our obligations to the FIFA organizers and our valued regional partners. This is precisely what we are doing.

The Regional Transportation Council of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) has invested money in the infrastructure of the Arlington

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Entertainment District to ensure spectators can move around safely and reliably once they get here. Sidewalks and wayfinding signage are being improved. We also have a vision to provide digital signage with the native languages of the teams playing each match. If Mexico is playing France, fans from those nations would be able to read instructions in Spanish and French.

Communicating directly to visitors in their language is one way we can help make their experience one they will remember for a lifetime.

Built for this moment Working with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the City of Arlington, the region’s public transportation providers and a variety of public- and private-sector strategic partners, the region has prepared well for the arrival of hundreds of thousands of people. We are bringing together

passenger rail, public-sector fleets and private-sector charter buses to get people from their hotels to their destinations, whether that’s to a practice facility, a game or any of the various fan experiences.

Technology also will allow us to leverage our transit assets to move people efficiently.

The GoPass app allows customers of all three of the region’s transit agencies — Dallas Area Rapid Transit, the Denton County Transportation Authoriy and Trinity — Metro to plan trips and purchase tickets.

Our partnership with the Carma Corporation allows users of the region’s TEXpress Lanes to qualify for peak-period discounts. The FIFA app could link our regional apps together, allowing users to move around without having to know exactly what apps to download.

We also effectively engage with rideshare partners to ensure seamless drop-off and pickup locations throughout the region.

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The partnerships formed to accomplish the projects needed before the first match begins will live on long after the teams and their fans have returned home.

Beyond transportation, the investments being made will improve the lives of our residents. One example is Kick Your Commute, a program NCTCOG has put together to encourage residents to work from home on game days and engage with their neighbors to plan parties and watch matches together.

Legacy of the World Cup Perhaps the most exciting part of the impact of the World Cup on the community has been the growth of youth soccer, which already has a significant presence in North Texas. In 2026, when soccer-playing youth here witness elite athletes training up close before leading their teams on the pitch, they may be inspired to take their own athletic abilities to the next level. Beyond enjoying playing soccer, our young athletes will be able to apply the lessons they learn on the field to other academic and professional pursuits, propelling our community forward.

There is no stronger legacy we can leave our children and grandchildren than the tools to make our home and travel a better, smoother place. North Central Texas has an opportunity to do exactly that — while the world watches.

For more than four decades, Michael Morris has served in the Transportation Department of the North Central Texas Council of Governments, which is the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the 12-county Dallas-Fort Worth region.

The MPO develops transportation plans and programs that address the transportation needs of this rapidly growing metropolitan area.

Michael became the director of the organization in 1990. As the Director of Transportation, he also is responsible for coordinating plans, programs and projects to improve mobility and reduce vehicle emissions.

He received his master’s degree in Civil Engineering from State University of New York at Buffalo in 1979 and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Texas. He received the Ronald F. Kirby Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021, among other honors. He previously served as the Chairman of the Transportation Research Board Executive Committee and was a National Associate of the National Academies.

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Garden State Glory As a host to FIFA 2026 World Cup™ games and final, New Jersey is meticulously preparing its transportation infrastructure for global visitors while ensuring smooth mobility for locals.

By Fran O’Connor | Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Transportation

New Jersey’s roads are among the busiest in the nation, and traffic congestion naturally increases when a major event such as the Super Bowl™ or large concerts come to the Garden State or when throngs of people head to the Jersey Shore on sunny weekends.

This is why our transportation agencies and event planners are keenly focused on summer 2026. New Jersey we will be hosting the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) World Cup™ soccer tournament and the Final Match of the tournament in MetLife Stadium.

With matches to be held at the MetLife Stadium and in Philadelphia, tens of thousands of tourists will be moving throughout the state, attending games and fan events. For many, this will be their first visit to New Jersey.

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Recognizing the historic scale of this event, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) began planning two years ago. With eight matches at MetLife Stadium and six matches in Philadelphia, our focus has been on achieving seamless coordination across multiple agencies.

On Feb. 4, 2024, it was announced that MetLife Stadium would host the Final Match.

Knowing this, and under the leadership of NJDOT Assistant Commissioner of Operations Chris Feinthel, subject matter experts from all the department’s business units are collaborating with the host committees and the New Jersey State Police. From event operations to technology and infrastructure, we are ensuring a safe, efficient and worldclass tournament experience.

Unifying our Efforts for Seamless Mobility Planning for an event of this scale requires close collaboration with our transportation partners and a deep understanding of FIFA’s needs to accommodate international visitors, some of whom do not speak or read English. Our primary goal is to ensure safe, efficient mobility for fans attending matches while maintaining reliable service for everyday commuters. Enhancements include coordination of rideshares at and near MetLife Stadium, minimizing construction disruption on major event routes and supporting multimodal connections to the FIFA Fan Festival and other venues.

Additionally, we are integrating World Cup-related transportation needs into broader 2026 event planning, including the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Sail250 tall ship flotilla event, which is a global gathering of tall and military ships to celebrate the founding of the U.S. Summer 2026 will be a defining moment for New Jersey, and we are committed to ensuring seamless mobility for residents and visitors.

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From the outset, NJDOT recognized that infrastructure safety and reliability are critical to delivering a successful World Cup experience. We are making key investments in this regard, which include: •

Bridge and Roadway Inspections and Repairs — Targeted improvements to bridges, inlets and drainage systems

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Physical Security Enhancements — Collaborating with New Jersey State Police to secure traffic signals, highway lighting and electrical cabinets

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Game Day Transit Lane Enhancements — Hard-Shoulder Running (HSR) lanes along Route 120, which serves MetLife Stadium and Meadowlands venues, to improve bus operations for New Jersey Transit

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Intelligent Transportation System Upgrades — Real-time traffic monitoring, including a first-inthe-nation deployment of LiDAR technology to create a 3D digital map of roads around MetLife Stadium

These investments will not only enhance event day operations but also will create a valuable legacy of improved transportation infrastructure in New Jersey.

to provide real-time traffic management across state borders •

Beyond logistics, NJDOT is engaging local communities through our Metropolitan Planning Organizations to ensure pedestrians, cyclists and individuals with mobility challenges can fully participate in all events.

Striking the Balance While the eyes of the world will be on New Jersey next summer, we know that our core responsibility remains to ensure reliable mobility for the daily commuters and businesses. To maintain a positive balance, our department is activating several strategies, including: •

implementing comprehensive public communications, using traditional and digital channels, to keep travelers informed about eventrelated traffic patterns, road closures and alternative routes;

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collaborating with law enforcement to orchestrate security and access plans to ensure efficient crowd management while maintaining critical highway access; and

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maintaining our focus on freight and commercial mobility to ensure that business operations and supply changes are minimally impacted by event-related transportation changes.

Broad Regional Coordination Transportation planning has required a multi-agency, cross-regional approach to ensure seamless connectivity across stadiums, airports, fan events and transit hubs. Our department has been working closely with the NYNJ Host Committee, the Philadelphia Host Committee and key transportation agencies, including:

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New Jersey Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — Coordinating public transit access to stadiums and various event venues through bus and rail service

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TRANSCOM and the Eastern Transportation Coalition — Multiparty coalitions working together

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USDOT and the Federal Highway Administration — Providing federal expertise and funding to support transportation planning

Our goal is to empower people with real-time information so they can make informed travel decisions — whether they are traveling to work, school, shops or heading out to view one of the exciting World Cup matches that our great state has the privilege of hosting in summer 2026.

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Francis (Fran) O’Connor became the 20th Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation in June 2024. He has more than 40 years of senior-level experience in both the public and private sectors. His industry expertise spans executive leadership, operations, planning, customer service and oversight of complex, multi-million-dollar projects for public sector clients nationwide.

A New Jersey native, Fran began his transportation career working as a toll collector for five years at the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA). He advanced to become Deputy Director of the NJTA’s Electronic Toll Collection Program launching E-ZPass — The Authority’s first electronic toll collection system.

As NJDOT Commissioner, Fran serves as Chair of NJ TRANSIT, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, the South Jersey Transportation Authority and the New Jersey Transportation Trust Fund Authority; and Vice Chair of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting, graduating summa cum laude from St. Peter’s University.

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See and hear safe infrastructure in motion. Scan the QR code on the cover with the camera on your mobile phone then hover over the front cover of THINK. How to scan HNTB’s augmented reality code on your iPhone 1. Open the camera app on your iPhone.

2. Point your phone at the AR code on the cover to scan it making sure that all four corners of the code are in view. Once your phone sees the code a pop-up notification will appear.

3. Tap the notification and then begin to scan the cover of THINK magazine.

How to scan HNTB’s augmented reality code on your Android phone 1. Go to the home page.

2. Open the camera or QR app.

3. Point your camera at the QR code.

4. Tap the pop-up notification and then begin to scan the cover of THINK magazine

THINK is published by the corporate communications department at HNTB. Patricia Mosher, senior vice president, pmosher@hntb.com Phyllis Schallenberg, vice president, editor, pschallenberg@hntb.com

Issue 26 | 2025

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