My guess is that it got a lot of upvotes quickly because it's on a topic people care about (bike lanes), has a clear headline and comes from a trusted source (c

My guess is that it got a lot of upvotes quickly because it's on a topic people care about (bike lanes), has a clear headline and comes from a trusted source (citylab). The upvote/time ratio is what propels it to the top of the front page.