Understanding California Public Utilities Code Sections 100116 & 130051.29
As California gears up to host massive global tournaments, the state has enacted Public Utilities Code Sections 100116 and 130051.29 to help manage the anticipated traffic and environmental impact. These specific legal codes grant certain regional transportation authorities the power to levy a small fee on event tickets, which must then be used to cover the costs of public transit operations.
Sources & References
The information on this page was was sourced from:
Sections 100116 & 130051.29, California Public Utilities Code (PUC): Statutory codes governing transit regulations and event-related surcharges.
CA Assembly Bill 1237: Ticket sellers: event tickets: transit tickets (2025-2026 Regular Session): Legislation authorizing the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to impose a transit surcharge on specific 2026 sporting event tickets.
The Up-To-$5 Transit Surcharge:
Under these regulations, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) are legally permitted to add a surcharge of up to five dollars on the purchase of a sporting event ticket within their respective counties.
This fee is strictly limited to the very first time the ticket is sold; the transit authorities are not allowed to double-dip by applying the charge to any subsequent resale of that same ticket. The companies selling the tickets are legally responsible for gathering these funds from fans and transferring the money directly to the transit agencies.
Free Game Day Rides for Ticket Holders:
The tradeoff for this extra fee is a direct benefit to the fans heading to the stadium. If the VTA or LA Metro decides to implement this surcharge, they are legally required to open up their transit networks at no cost to attendees. Anyone who shows a valid event ticket at a fare collection point is entitled to use the transit agency's services completely free of charge on the actual day of the sporting event.
Which Specific Events Are Included?
These surcharges do not apply to every random Tuesday night baseball game. The laws are hyper-targeted at specific global spectacles taking place in 2026. For Los Angeles County and the LA Metro, the law exclusively applies to matches that are part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In Santa Clara County, the VTA's authority extends to both the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches and any games hosted as part of the 2026 NCAA Men's or Women's Basketball Championship.
Mandatory Reporting and Transparency:
To ensure the collected money is actually improving infrastructure and not disappearing into administrative black holes, both transit agencies must submit comprehensive reports to the California Legislature by January 1, 2027, if they choose to levy the fee. These mandatory disclosures must break down the exact amount of revenue generated , the total number of fans who took advantage of the free transit offer , and a detailed accounting of how much money the agency spent to provide supplementary transit services for the events.