Some of the most improved transit systems in North America have come back virtually from the dead, written off by their local citizenry and press as at best insignificant, at most boondoggles. Some are models to the rest of the industry on how to build a brighter future after a less than distinguished history. What these 10 agencies have in common, however, is that they all have overcome huge political and other management obstacles. Many of our readers will see similarities to problems they have met. All hopefully will take a measure of inspiration from their accomplishments. Their triumphs are those of the industry as a whole. We began this exercise by scouring the public record: the industry’s own ridership data and press releases, executive summaries of regional studies, etc. We drew from our own files of interviews we compiled with industry officials, both published and unpublished. We also asked our Editorial Advisory Board and others, and we solicited nominations on our Website and via a fax survey. The Top 10 can be found on the Website under "Metro Research."