Public transportation agencies throughout Puget Sound experienced record ridership Feb. 5, when an estimated 700,000 Seahawks fans—more than the population of Seattle—made their way downtown to celebrate the new Super Bowl champions. The combined parade and rally was described as the largest event in the history of the Pacific Northwest.

Revelers packed inbound buses, trains, ferries, and water taxis starting early in the morning continuing until the evening. Bus operators placed additional vehicles on the street—some loaned from neighboring systems—and rail and water services operated more frequently than usual that day.

The day was the busiest ever for Sound Transit, which provided about 200,000 rides on its rail and bus routes, compared with average weekday ridership of about 105,000. For the first time, Link light rail deployed four-car trains to accommodate the crowds, and both Link and Sounder commuter rail provided additional runs.

King County Metro Transit and Sound Transit jointly operated about 1,200 buses, including at least 85 additional buses that made 300-plus extra trips. Bus drivers reported hundreds of full buses—about 20 times as many as a typical weekday—and Metro’s website had double to triple its usual traffic.

Community Transit in Snohomish County and Pierce Transit in Tacoma also provided additional trips into and out of Seattle both agencies reporting capacity loads and long lines.

Kitsap Transit in Bremerton ran standing room only loads on buses serving the Bremerton and Bainbridge Island ferry terminals and the on-foot ferry serving Bremerton. The agency used its largest buses to handle the crowds, and it operated three additional buses in the evening.

Intercity Transit in Olympia reported full express buses to Seattle, beginning with the first trip at 4:12 a.m. The agency also experienced standing rides throughout the day on routes connecting to other transit services.