Submission – Fantasy Map: Los Angeles Metro in the Style of the 1972 New York Subway Map by Cullen McCormick

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Fantasy Maps

Submitted by Cullen, who says:

A few months back you answered a question of mine with some tips for preparing artwork for inkjet printing. Everything printed great, so thanks again for your help! Thought you might enjoy seeing the finished map.

Transit Maps says:

I always say that if you’re going to do an “in the style of” map, you should aim to replicate the source as closely as possible. That’s how you learn what made the original map tick, and that can help inform your future design decisions. And Cullen’s map has certainly nailed the look and feel of the original 1972 Vignelli New York Subway Diagram perfectly – from the colours and the typography, right down to the 10×10 grid and the reworking of the LA Metro’s logo to pay homage to the 1970s NYCTA logo (a very nice touch!).

The map itself shows a potential near-future Los Angeles after the completion of the Regional Connector: note that the Blue and Gold lines have been realigned (with the Gold merging with the current Expo line), and all the routes have been assigned letter designations. These letters and routes come from this 2015 Metro report (PDF), and certainly help complete the “New Yorkification” of this diagram. What’s a real city without an “A” train, right?

Our rating: Pretty much perfect. Five stars.

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