For supporters, the shortest route will not always be the most comfortable. A path with limited shade can expose pedestrians to significantly greater heat stress, particularly before or after a match when crowds are moving at the same time.
The reported warning is reinforced by an incident at a Fan Festival event in Texas. The report says more than 100 people suffered heat exhaustion on the opening day, while Houston’s emergency management office recorded 110 medical incidents among a crowd of more than 30,000.
Those figures have not been independently confirmed here, but they underline the practical challenge facing tournament organisers and fans.
The report says Cool Routes is available for testing in 10 US cities and compares journeys using several measures:
The system reportedly combines remote-sensing data with transport modelling to produce maps based on the Universal Thermal Climate Index, a measure of how outdoor conditions are experienced by the human body.
That makes the tool potentially useful beyond route planning. It could help fans decide when to leave, where to pause and whether cycling is sensible on a particular day.
The next test will come when World Cup crowds arrive in large numbers and move through host cities during the tournament. Cool Routes may become one part of a wider safety effort involving hydration points, shaded waiting areas and clearer heat warnings.