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Fans take photos in front of the prop during FIFA Fan Fest, on June 13 in Dallas.<\/p>\n
Shafkat Anowar\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
Welcome to North Texas,\u00a0World Cup fans!<\/a> We are excited you are here to cheer on your teams and experience some Texas hospitality during your stay. Perhaps a trip to Buc-ee\u2019s or a pair of cowboy boots are in your future.\u00a0<\/p>\n But we wanted to warn you that if you\u2019re thinking of walking, Dallas is almost certainly not like the place you come from. If you choose to journey on foot, heed this editorial.\u00a0<\/p>\n The matches will be held at \u201cDallas Stadium,\u201d<\/a> but despite its name, the stadium is located in our neighboring city of Arlington.<\/a> And by \u201cneighboring,\u201d we mean it\u2019s an incredibly long way away. That\u2019s Texas. So plan to call a rideshare or adventure on the conveyor belt of trains and buses and shuttles<\/a> that will take you to the stadium.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n And while the matches are in Arlington, the fan fest with food vendors, merchandise and live broadcasts of the matches,<\/a> is in Fair Park in Dallas. That\u2019s about 20 miles away or 32.2 kilometers. Think Amsterdam to Haarlem but with terrible traffic.\u00a0<\/p>\n By its name \u2014 FIFA Fan Fest at Fair Park<\/a> \u2014 you would probably think the festival spans the entire grounds of Fair Park. However, unlike the State Fair that takes over Fair Park\u2019s sprawling campus and occupies the park\u2019s stately buildings, FIFA\u2019s fan fest is at the far-flung reaches of the park, sequestered in a fenced-off portion of the parking lot at Dos Equis Pavilion.\u00a0<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get us wrong \u2014 the FIFA store filled with jerseys and the massive screens at the amphitheater to watch the matches looks like a great time. But getting there might not be so simple.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are signs directing rideshares to drop-off locations at the entrance of the fan fest, and parking is available, but if you\u2019re hoping to take public transportation, the journey is a little more complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The Fair Park Dallas Area Rapid Transit station is at the main entrance to the park, which is about a mile trek on foot from the fan fest. A mile walk in Dallas in June is not a jaunt in Tokyo this time of year. Bring water. Or you can hop on the tram shuttle.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n At Fair Park, FIFA has installed signs marking bicycle and scooter lanes<\/a> in its signature purple and lime green branding. We are all for exploring more ways to get people to the fan fest, but getting in and out of Fair Park is hard enough. Bikes and scooters and cars all sharing the road will make the gridlock worse. And we certainly don\u2019t need e-bikes and scooters littering the sidewalk, creating another obstacle for fan fest-goers trying to navigate on foot.\u00a0<\/p>\n Around the corner from Fair Park, at the Santa Fe trailhead, FIFA\u2019s purple signs point in the direction of Fair Park. But once you arrive at the park\u2019s main gates, you are still a ways away from the fan fest in the parking lot (that\u2019s the mile walk). The signs also helpfully indicate that downtown is a 45-minute walk in the opposite direction. Good luck, travelers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Unhelpfully, one of the downtown signs has been laid in the grass with some rocks on top so it doesn\u2019t fly away. The wayfinding guide that has already fallen down doesn\u2019t instill much confidence for directing fans.\u00a0<\/p>\n Frankly, it may be better that the signs are down. A Fair Park-to-downtown hike is not something we would recommend to visitors, or anyone for that matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Setting the weather aside<\/a>, the cracked sidewalks, the freeway underpasses, the general malaise of a variety of dead zones and the maze-like path are just plain treacherous.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those planning this event have done their best, we guess, to get people to and fro. But we should be honest that no amount of signage and other spackle is going to cover up Dallas\u2019 unfriendly pedestrian infrastructure.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n For the most part, dear visitors, hop on a bus or a train. Or do what those of us who live here do and find a car.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cheer loudly, enjoy the atmosphere and make the most of your visit. If you\u2019re walking, good luck.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n