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Public Transit: Super Bowl MVPs
Houston Sets Ridership Records
When Super Bowl LI arrived in Houston, the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) responded with record-breaking ridership as the agency tallied more than 700,000 boardings on light rail and special shuttle buses during the nine-day period of events in the run up to the Feb. 5 game.
METRORail reported four of the highest single-day ridership totals in its history Feb. 1-4, with a new one-day rail record—approximately 109,500 boardings—on Feb. 4. In addition, the newest light rail lines, the Green and Purple, set single-day ridership records for three straight days.
Packed train cars and crowded platforms were common as thousands of riders used METRORail and the system’s shuttles to reach the big game and related events.
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| Record crowds packed METRORail trains and shuttles during Super Bowl LI week. | “The feedback we have received has been tremendous. So many have called and messaged about their positive experiences using METRO over these past several days,” said METRO Board Chair Carrin Patman.
“We are thrilled we were able to serve the community in such a meaningful way and work in close partnership with the extraordinary leadership of Ric Campo and Sallie Sargent of the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee. We also applaud the great coordination at the city, county, state and federal levels. This was truly a team effort as Houston welcomed the world for Super Bowl LI,” she added.
METRO President & CEO Tom Lambert said, “This effort was more than two years in the planning and to see the community embrace and rely on our services in such a big way is extremely rewarding. Our expanded transportation network has grown rapidly in the last three years, and METRO’s dedicated staff proved we can deliver when it’s time for a world-class event and every day.”
Light rail passengers rode free for three days in advance of the game, courtesy of a local business sponsor.
The seamless METRO Super Bowl Connection service network included buses, METRORail light rail and bus shuttles and connectors operating among downtown sites.
METRO also partnered with Game City Showcase, an event that highlights a different Houston neighborhood—all within walking distance of light rail—for four nights the week before the Super Bowl. The festivities included live music, interactive art, snacks, specialty drinks, giveaways, activities and special appearances.
MBTA Shines at Victory Parade
Thousands of New England Patriots fans gathered Feb. 7 in Boston for the Super Bowl Victory Parade—and 215,000 of them traveled on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail service operated by Keolis Commuter Services, one of the system’s busiest days in its history.
Keolis officials noted that ridership was 60 percent higher than a typical weekday, requiring 15 additional inbound trains and seven coaches. Further, as snow and sleet fell across the region, system employees had to salt platforms and walkways to ensure the safety of commuters and parade attendees. Twelve additional trains on eight commuter rail lines entered service following the parade.
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| An MBTA surveillance camera photo showed the crowd of New England Patriots fans surrounding the entrances to Park Station. |
More than 100 staff members volunteered to assist passengers at select stations, particularly at Boston’s North, South and Back Bay stations.
“The MBTA and its commuter rail partner worked very hard to meet yesterday’s ridership demands across all modes,” said MBTA Acting General Manager Brian Shortsleeve. “When there are large events in Boston, the public understandably turns to the MBTA for transportation support, and we’re pleased that we were able to satisfy the needs of not only parade-goers but also our regular weekday commuters.”
Keolis Commuter Service General Manager David Scorey said the successful response was “the result of careful planning and preparation and [it] underscores our commitment to putting passengers first no matter what the occasion, including extraordinary weekday or weekend events.”
Editor’s Note: Passenger Transport has been reporting on transit agencies’ efforts to get football fans to and from games since 1946. See photo and story in this issue.
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