World Cup Street Agreement
Boston officials reach Summer Street closure deal for World Cup matches after dispute
Boston’s Wu administration and the MBTA/Healey transportation officials have reached an agreement to partially or fully close Summer Street near South Station during seven World Cup matches that coincide with Boston watch parties, after a public dispute over the scope of the shutdown. For games on June 13, June 19, June 29, and July 9, the segment between Dorchester Avenue and Atlantic Avenue will be fully closed to vehicles for about eight hours; for June 16, June 23, and June 26, only the westbound (north) side will remain open with officers directing traffic one direction at a time. The closures are intended to create security screening and queuing space for express commuter rail service to Foxborough’s stadium (operating at high frequency and expected to carry up to about 20,000 passengers per match), while the street will also be restricted during setup even when traffic is otherwise allowed. In exchange for the city’s occupancy permit for takeover use on match days, the MBTA will withdraw a prior eminent domain letter, with both sides saying safety is the priority and that street flexibility will be preserved. Additional temporary lane or traffic restrictions may be imposed for crowd management, and city and MBTA staff will review operations after each match day to adjust future closures where possible.
Key Points
Before reaching the deal, Mayor Michelle Wu criticized the state’s original plan to close Summer Street during all seven matches as “inappropriate,” following weeks of disagreement between city and state officials.
The MBTA said it will operate 14 express commuter rail trains every 15 minutes between South Station and Gillette Stadium (branded as “Boston Stadium” during the World Cup), with service expected to carry about 20,000 people per match.
The MBTA’s planned takeover area is described by local coverage as an approximately 800-foot stretch of Summer Street in front of South Station—an area the city had not initially permitted for the shutdown.
In earlier remarks, MBTA leadership said it was prepared to use eminent domain if necessary (“we’re prepared to use eminent domain… but says he doesn’t think that will be necessary”), describing the process timeline as filing the day before any legal deadline/court action would be required.
The MBTA said World Cup train tickets are priced at about $80, with roughly 37% of tickets sold so far for the first five matches, and MBTA officials still expected a sellout.
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