I am continuing the tradition of using the final print issue of the year to highlight the magazine’s most popular stories of 2022. There is a quote attributed to Maya Angelou, “You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.” I don’t know where I first heard that quote, but I think of it at the end of each year. Looking at the popular stories is a way to both reflect and gain insight into what 2023 may bring to the industry.
The magazine’s website has maintained the significant gains experienced during the pandemic, which is gratifying as the entire Mass Transit team exists to ensure valuable information is shared among the industry. We wouldn’t be here if you didn’t read our articles, attend our webinars, watch our videos or engage with our posts on social media.
This year’s top 100 articles were dominated by rail projects. This may be because major programs have shaken off any residual pandemic-caused delays and were able to mark progress this year, or it could further support the renewed interest in rail travel that started increasing in popularity a few years ago. Popular stories included the opening of Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Silver Line Extension, advancement of the Portal North Bridge, other developments along the Northeast Corridor, the public’s first look at Caltrain’s new trainsets and any story covering high-speed rail.
Technology-focused articles also piqued the interest of readers in 2022, with stories on the modernization program at San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, new fare gates at Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the automated bus lane enforcement cameras on Metropolitan Transportation Authority all delivering high pageviews.
Regarding industry personnel, the magazine’s two features covering the operator recruitment crisis were well read and, we hope, useful as the industry works to solve this shared challenge. While the personnel announcements that are posted rarely crack the top articles on an individual basis, taken as a whole, they prove to be highly engaging. I do enjoy going to Mass Transit’s LinkedIn Page after a #PeopleOnTheMove item is posted to read the congratulatory and other supportive comments among industry colleagues. It’s a reminder this industry is collaborative at its core.
From the Mass Transit team, thank you for reading our coverage both online and in print. We wish you continued success in 2023.
