Official Map: Metro de Santiago, Chile, 2012

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Official Maps

Here’s another example of a metro map overlaid on a city’s street grid – this time from Santiago, Chile. This system has some marvellous innovations, with a bike sharing program (BiciMetro) and libraries (BiblioMetro) integrated at many stations, but the map somewhat fails to live up to those modern, forward-thinking ideas.

Have we been there? No.

What we like: Clean layout, with large easy-to-read (if not particularly stylish) text. The roads are given the right informational weight – they’re there if you need them, but don’t detract from the main purpose of the map.

What we don’t like: Some very clumsy curves where routes change direction, especially on Line 5 between Las Parcelas and Del Sol and then through Baquedano.

The express route on Line 1 seems very tacked on and suffers from Adobe Illustrator “Rounded Corners” syndrome – the curves don’t nest properly with the main Line 1 route and it looks very ugly.

Some sections of the map seem overly cramped in comparison with other parts, probably a consequence of letting the street grid dictate layout.

Finally, it’s all well and good to show us where the airport is (way over there to the northwest of the city), but how the heck do we get there?

Our rating: Functional, but a little clumsy and inelegant in parts. Three stars.

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Source: Metro de Santiago website

3 Comments

  1. Patricia says

    Just returned from Santiago, Chile. In answer to your comment about how you get to the airport, here’s a reply. Take the metro to Pajaritos station almost at the western end of the red line. Then take Turbus or any other buses marked aeropuerto.

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