Bay Area Host Committee Responds to Super Bowl Traffic Complaints

Organizers say they worked to spread events across the region based on prior feedback.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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The Bay Area Host Committee has responded to complaints about traffic and logistical issues during Super Bowl week in the San Francisco Bay Area. While some events were spread across multiple cities to activate the entire region, this led to challenges for attendees and media trying to travel between locations. The host committee says they worked extensively with officials and transportation agencies to minimize disruption, but acknowledged that some issues still arose.

Why it matters

The Super Bowl is one of the biggest sporting events in the world, and the Bay Area's ability to host it smoothly is important for the region's reputation and future bids. Complaints about traffic and logistics could impact perceptions of the Bay Area's capacity to handle large events.

The details

The Super Bowl events were spread across multiple cities in the Bay Area, including San Francisco, San Jose, Redwood City, and Santa Clara. This led to issues like a flag football event being delayed because players got stuck in traffic, and an NFL media shuttle nearly missing the start of an event due to the commute. Some journalists, like Arash Markazi, were critical of the logistical challenges. The host committee says they made efforts to activate the entire region based on feedback from the last time the Super Bowl was in the Bay Area in 2016.

  • The Super Bowl took place on February 9, 2026.
  • The Bay Area Host Committee responded to the complaints on February 7, 2026.

The players

Bay Area Host Committee

The organization responsible for coordinating the Bay Area's hosting of the Super Bowl.

Arash Markazi

A journalist who highlighted the logistical challenges of traveling between Super Bowl events in the Bay Area.

Mitch Germann

A spokesman for the Bay Area Host Committee.

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What they’re saying

“I say this respectfully because I love Super Bowl week and love the Bay Area but everything about this week feels off so far ... L.A., you're on the clock.”

— Arash Markazi (X)

“What surfaced was an overwhelming sentiment to activate throughout the entire Bay Area versus focusing the activity in one location. Throughout the planning process, we heard from leaders across the region that they wanted their communities to actively participate in the experience.”

— Mitch Germann, BAHC spokesman (SFGATE)

“Our goal is to minimize disruption, keep the region moving, and make travel as predictable as possible for fans and locals alike.”

— Mitch Germann, BAHC spokesman (SFGATE)

What’s next

The Bay Area will host World Cup games at Levi's Stadium this summer, which could present similar logistical challenges for international media and attendees.

The takeaway

Spreading Super Bowl events across the Bay Area was an attempt to engage the entire region, but it created transportation headaches that the host committee acknowledged they tried to mitigate. Future large events in the Bay Area will need to balance regional participation with efficient logistics to avoid similar complaints.