Preparing for the FIFA World Cup: How We’re Training Bus Operators for the Busiest Streets Seattle Has Ever Seen

Next year, Seattle will host the FIFA World Cup, and with it will come some of the largest crowds the city has ever experienced. For transit agencies and private operators across the region, this presents a once-in-a-generation challenge: safely moving tens of thousands of fans through downtown, the waterfront, and event venues packed with pedestrians from all over the world.

At Drivers of Tomorrow, we’ve been preparing for this moment. Over the past several months, our team has been experimenting with advanced crowd-density simulations inside our VR and simulator platforms, pushing the limits of how many pedestrians we can realistically and safely place inside a training scenario.

And the results have already been eye-opening.

Thousands of fans may surround buses pre and post FIFA world cup soccer games.

Why World Cup Training Needs a Different Approach

Major events dramatically change the dynamics of urban driving. Intersections fill up faster. Crosswalks stay busy for minutes at a time. People make unpredictable decisions, move in large groups, or step suddenly into the roadway while distracted by signage, celebrations, or mobile devices.

Traditional training only accounts for normal city conditions. But World Cup month won’t be “normal.”

That’s why our team has been developing special event training modules designed specifically for:

• Heavy pedestrian volumes

• Increased congestion around transit hubs and stadiums

• Passengers with limited English proficiency

• Tourists unfamiliar with transit environments

• Unexpected road closures and detours

These modules allow operators to rehearse the exact challenges they’ll face when Seattle becomes an international stage.

When FIFA comes to Seattle, the amount of visitors will be unprecedented, and our drivers need to be prepared.

Testing Pedestrian Density Like Never Before

One of the most exciting parts of our research has been stress-testing our pedestrian systems. Until now, transit simulators typically used small groups of people to represent urban activity.

But for FIFA-level events, that’s simply not realistic.

So we’ve been:

• Increasing pedestrian counts into the hundreds and thousands

• Generating dynamic crowd flows that move like real event traffic

• Introducing behavioral variety (distracted walking, sudden group stops, families, fans in clusters)

• Stress-testing operator reaction time against complex crowd movements

These hyper-realistic simulations allow drivers to practice navigating intense foot traffic while maintaining safe speeds, clear sightlines, and smooth operation.

A fun taster

As we work through the complexities, we wanted to share a snippet of what is to come...

Special Event Modules Coming Soon

We are currently developing a suite of World Cup–focused modules, including:

• Stadium Arrival & Departure Scenarios

• Downtown Seattle Pedestrian Surge Training

• Temporary Detour & Road Closure Navigation

• Fan Zone Transit Operations

Each scenario is designed to help agencies reduce risk, improve safety, and ensure operators feel confident before they ever enter a real event environment.

A Safer Seattle for the World

When the world comes to Seattle, we want our operators, and our agencies, to be ready.

The World Cup will bring excitement, energy, and global attention.

With advanced VR, AR, and simulator training, we can help ensure it also brings safe service, smooth operations, and well-prepared drivers ready for the busiest streets the city has ever seen.