IndyGo ridership increased nearly 40 percent during a 10-day period leading up to the Super Bowl, the city's public transportation service announced on Wednesday.

From Jan. 27 to Feb. 5, IndyGo ridership on fixed routes totaled 325,212, a 39-percent jump from its average ridership. IndyGo offered free rides on fixed routes during four of those days.

Of the total, 142,456 passengers rode IndyGo buses during the four free ride days. To accommodate the increase in passengers, IndyGo used 28 additional buses to assist on the fixed routes.

In addition, IndyGo’s website and call center experienced above-average usage. Web site visits during the 10 days ranged from 6,000 to 8,000 daily, well beyond the 2,000 hits it typically receives. At its peak, www.indygo.net had 12,440 visits on Feb. 3.

The IndyGo call center fielded a total of 19,713 calls, a 53-percent increase in its normal 10-day volume.

IndyGo's Green Line, an express route from downtown to Indianapolis International Airport, saw ridership jump 73 percent over the 10 days, from an average of 51 rides daily to 88. The route did not offer free fares.