Henry Epp

Sometimes you need a deadline to get a project done.

At least I do.

And apparently some transit agencies do, too.

For decades, Seattle has been planning to run a light rail line across Lake Washington, which divides the west and east sides of the metro area.

Henry Benden is a spokesperson for Sound Transit, which runs the region's light rail system.

Construction on the line started in 2016.

It's faced plenty of delays.

But the prospect of tens of thousands of soccer fans descending on the city this summer gave Sound Transit a hard deadline.

And they're going to meet it.

The line opens later this week.

On the other side of the country, Boston's public transit agency is upgrading a commuter rail station near the home of the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which will host seven World Cup matches.

Christian Milneal is editor of Streets Blog Mass, a local transportation news site.

Which just wouldn't cut it for thousands of international soccer fans boarding the train.

So by this summer, it'll have a new raised platform, ADA compliant, constructed in just one year.

That's warp speed by Massachusetts standards, Milneal says.

Upgrades like the ones in Foxborough and Seattle will last long after the tournament.

But in the short term, the Cup also presents a huge logistical challenge to transit agencies, says Jona Fremark at the Urban Institute.

And so most host cities plan to run extra buses and trains before and after games.

The federal government will pay for some of that service.

And at least for a few weeks, some cities will get a taste of what a more robust public transit system looks like.