From all of us here at STB, we’d like to thank you for reading us in 2013. Over the past year we’ve had 665 posts, nearly 40,000 comments, and over 800,000 pageviews. Our top ten posts in 2013 accounted for 10% of our web traffic on their own. Here’s a look at them:
Most Read:
- #1. Zipcar vs. Car2Go (2/12): My comparative breakdown of the revenue models and amenities for our two carsharing services was quite durably popular throughout the year, thanks largely to SEO. (23,000 views)
- #2. Your Bus, Much More Often (8/19): Nothing gets people as excited as dreaming about better transit options, whether rail or bus. David’s exhaustively detailed restructure proposals showed us how much more we can get out of our system. (12,000 views)
- #3. PSA: Standing the Right Way (12/04): David’s post on rider etiquette hit quite a nerve on STB, on Slog, and on Twitter. (9,100 views)
- #4. Sound Transit Refines Ballard Options (12/06): My description of the Tier II alternatives for Ballard rail. People love talking about subways, especially in this corridor! (6,400 views)
- #5. Alternatives for Ballard (06/27): Ben’s writeup of the Tier 1 Options. (4,900 views)
- #6. Option 9 (07/01): Ben proposed a hybrid 9th option that likely helped develop the mostly-subway Corridor 5 (Tier 1) into the all-subway Corridor D (Tier 2). (4,200 views)
- #7. Yes, Sound Transit and and Seattle Are Studying Subway to Ballard (03/12): Ben writing that the game isn’t fixed in favor of streetcars and that a full subway is possible. Sensing a theme here? People are clamoring for Ballard rail. (3,900 views)
- #8. Explainer: 2014 Metro Budget Cuts (05/02): Frank gave a great, non-wonky explanation of Metro’s budget predicament. (3,800 views)
- #9. A Better Ship Canal Crossing (04/12): Bruce’s exposition of what has become almost common wisdom, that a new Ship Canal bridge should be primarily for cars so that the current Fremont bridge can prioritize bikes and transit. (3,600 views)
- #10. We Shouldn’t Build More Park & Rides (06/25): Ben writing against Park and Rides, touching off a debate that exposes strong faultlines within the pro-transit community. (3,600 views)
Most Commented:
- #1. Your Bus, Much More Often (8/19). (296 Comments)
- #2. Alternatives for Ballard (06/27) (238 Comments)
- #3. Sound Transit Refines Ballard Options (12/06) (229 Comments)
- #4. Waiting for Paris (226 Comments): A familiar quagmire of comments discussing affordability, density, and the causative/correlative relationship between them.
- #5. Option 9 (07/01) (221 Comments)
- #6. News Roundup: Openings (02/21) (221 Comments): A news roundup that evolved (devolved?) into extended debate over the merits of a new Fremont bridge and the etiquette of eating on transit.
- #7. Metro Cuts Posted (11/07) (201 Comments): Bruce describes the bloodbath of the looming 600k hour cuts.
- #8. Mercer Island, I-90 Tolls for Thee (02/04) (195 Comments): Frank’s post elicited predictable and strongly felt opinions about privilege, subsidy, and fairness.
- #9. Build a Ballard Subway (12/13) (191 Comments): An all-subway route to Ballard is now on paper, and people get really excited. (Ben)
- #10. Talking Sense About Amtrak (04/18) (180 Comments): Bruce goes after everyone’s favorite indulgence — long-distance Amtrak routes — and (surprise!) passions run high.
Happy New Year to our community, and we look forward to the next few exciting years!
2013: Ballard is popular.
2013: Transit to Ballard is finally actually being planned.
High Capacity Rail Transit*
This comment from “MS” on most-read post #3 sounds like the perfect New Years’ resolution for what we, as riders, can do to help our fellow riders (second only to doing whatever we can do to get a VLF/sales tax proposal passed so that we can continue to have a workable bus system):
“STB PSA works! Today’s scene: This cold morning, Fri 12/6, 28X on NW Market St & 8th Av NW, always a long line to board but even more so today for scheduled 8:14am trip. Some of us get on, many others still outside. Driver plays auto announcement to move back, then uses own voice to ask again. Small shuffling to small effect. I’m standing in front half of bus. Emboldened after reading this STB post, I say loudly: ‘Look at those cold people outside, let’s let them on. We can do this!’ More deliberate movements and all get on. Yay!”
Thank you to former operator David for having the guts to call out problem riders and crowdsource solutions thereto. Help everyone get home safely tonight. Urge your fellow riders to move back. Yes, all the way back, so nobody gets stranded.
If you are thinking of drinking tonight, don’t plan to drive. We have an awesome transit system. We have various free-ride programs. We have cabs and “ride-share” services galore. Get home safely tonight, everyone. Happy New Year!