Commonwealth Magazine | By Bruce Mohl | Jan. 24

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY STEPHANIE POLLACK and members of the MBTA’s oversight board on Monday praised the authority and the state’s commuter rail operator for their response to the huge crowds that took public transit to the Women’s March on Saturday.

Pollack said early estimates of how many people would participate in the march had been in the 40,000 to 70,000 range, but those numbers ratcheted up dramatically on Friday as organizers said many more people would be coming. The estimates rose to 80,000 and then 100,000, but nowhere near the 175,000 that many believe ultimately participated.

The T began deployed extra staff and equipment to meet the demand. Keolis, the commuter rail operator, added trains. Many T operators who worked shifts in the morning stayed on through the afternoon to smooth the commute home.

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