BOSTON — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter-rail network was swamped by record ridership Tuesday as fans attended the New England Patriots’ Super Bowl victory parade — despite advance planning that included more than two dozen extra trains.
The Boston Globe reports that MBTA authorities said ridership was about double the usual 127,000 trips.
“We are seeing extraordinary ridership levels across the entire network, notably higher than seen for previous parades and almost certainly the highest ridership ever seen on the network,” spokesman Tory Mazzola of Keolis Commuter Services, contract operator of the commuter trains, told the Globe. Authorities believe unusually mild weather, with temperatures in the 60s, helped swell the crowds.
Regular commuters found it difficult to reach work, as packed trains skipped normal stops. Some riders watched multiple trains pass without anyone being allowed to board. Some subway lines also saw heavy crowding.
For the afternoon commute, the MBTA and Keolis created lined up passengers outside stations, organizing them by transit line, and allowed them in only when their trains arrived.
I remember what it was like that Tuesday in February 2002 when The Patriots won their first super bowl.It was cold
Hopefully they’ve billed the team for the extra service. They can afford it.
Or even better, stop winning.
They used crowd control at North Station and Back Bay. No such thing at South Station, which was a zoo. Thankfully my train home was on Track 13, easternmost and the platform is accessible from the adjacent Post Office parking lot (nice bypass). They should have these events on a weekend, with no commuter issues to worry about.