Official FIFA vehicles to be permitted to use Vancouver's bus lanes during World Cup
Because several of these lanes are located within 800 metres of provincially-protected arterial and highway routes, the City also needs approval from the B.C. minister of transportation and transit. City staff are recommending that the City Council formally request temporary permission, as required under the Motor Vehicle Act. The affected corridors include parts of Granville Street, West 41st Avenue, West Georgia Street, Pender Street, East Hastings Street and McGill Street, among others.
“Allowing these vehicles to use existing special use lanes will help maintain reliable travel times and reduce pressure on traffic lanes,” states the City staff’s report.
These changes are different from the Olympic lanes put in place during the 2010 Winter Olympics, when there were fewer bus lanes and the City installed temporary signage delineating specific Olympic lanes. The requirements for the FIFA World Cup are also comparatively far smaller than the Olympics due to it being a much smaller event operationally.
Of course, Vancouver’s key FIFA World Cup venue is BC Place Stadium, where seven matches will be held. There will be extensive road closures in the downtown Vancouver peninsula during the stadium’s match days, including a three-km-long, pedestrian-only route and fan zone along Pacific Street and Pacific Boulevard between the Canada Line’s Yaletown-Roundhouse Station and the Expo Line’s Main Street-Science World Station. There will also be some road closures around the stadium on non-match days.
The other major spectator venue is at the PNE fairgrounds in Hastings Park, where the official FIFA Fan Festival will coincide with the entire duration of the tournament, with the event having a capacity of over 25,000 people per day. The new PNE amphitheatre will be used for the live screening of matches, concerts, and performances, while other activations and programming will activate other areas of the fairgrounds. TransLink is expected to operate a special shuttle bus along Renfrew Street linking Hastings Park with the Millennium Line’s Renfrew Station and the Expo Line’s 29th Avenue Station, similar to its PNE Fair shuttle bus.
The designated FIFA hotels are located in downtown Vancouver, and the two official practice facilities are located at Killarney Park in southeast Vancouver and the existing National Soccer Development Centre at the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Thunderbird Park. As well, of course, Vancouver International Airport is another major point of interest.
Additionally, in November 2025, City Council approved a package of temporary bylaw changes to support the tournament’s operational needs and security, including adjustments related to noise, signage, street use, and traffic.
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