Valley Metro transported more than 250,000 riders during Super Bowl

Valley Metro officials yesterday announced the transit system transported more than 250,000 riders traveling to Super Bowl LVII events held in Phoenix earlier this month.

Light-rail ridership exceeded the average by 60% for the entire six days of events taking place Feb. 4-5 and 9-12, Valley Metro officials said in a press release. About 150 Valley Metro employees and city staff members combined worked 1,500 hours at stations and park-and-rides to support the surge in ridership.

The transit agency launched a mobile fare payment feature on its app prior to the Super Bowl. The app was downloaded by new users 5,300 times, and more than 4,400 digital rider passes were sold. On an average day, the app is downloaded 350 times, Valley Metro officials said.

"Phoenix has proven itself as a successful venue for mega-events and we look forward to hosting more in the future," said Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority Chair Laura Pastor.