Author: Cameron Booth

Submission – Official Map: Upper Silesian Interurban Tram Network, 2021

March 30, 2021
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Submitted by Daniel, who says: I’d like to submit the official map of the tram network of the Upper Silesian urban area, also known as Katowice urban area. The network currently consists of 29 lines spanning 13 cities and over 300km of single track, making it one of the largest in the world. The map in addition to trams also depicts a few bus replacement services due to extensive renovations of rail infrastructure. What is […]

Historical Map: BART “Going Places” Advertising Supplement Poster, 1982

March 26, 2021
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Advertising, Historical Maps, Illustrations
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Here’s a fantastic poster designed as the centre spread of an advertising supplement to various Bay Area newspapers to celebrate the first ten years of BART (1972–1982). The immediately recognisable system diagram is overlaid on top of some charming line illustrations of landmarks and attractions, with the routes of BART Express buses also indicated. It’s all very simple – the illustration looks like it’s been done with some coloured fine felt-tip pens – but it’s […]

Project: A Map of Electric Rail Service in Spokane, Washington in 1912

March 17, 2021
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Historical Maps, My Transit Maps
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Old streetcar maps often do a very poor job of actually showing how the routes ran – often just drawing an otherwise unmarked red line down the middle of roads on a standard cartographic map without any explanation of stops, loops or route names (see left for an example). Finding accurate information about the actual routing of individual lines can be a long and thankless process, so when long-time Transit Maps correspondent Karl Otterstrom tweeted […]

Submission – Official Map: MetroBus Zone Map, Valencia, Spain

March 3, 2021
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Submitted by Roberto, who says: I just wanted to share with you the official map of the buses (MetroBus) that link the city of Valencia (Spain) with towns of its metropolitan area. Map by the Valencia Metropolitan Transport Authority (ATMV). Transit Maps says: Oh dear. This is… bad. MetroBus (a collective term for all the metropolitan buses run by various operating companies in and around Valencia) operates over 100 routes, but you’d be hard pressed […]

Historical Map: Green Line Coach Routes, London, 1949

February 26, 2021
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Historical Maps
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Perhaps because of post-war austerity measures, this map was printed with just two inks – green and black – but still manages to do a lot of really good work. The radial nature of the Green Line network definitely makes things easier for the designer, as only a few of the routes really interact with others as they spread inexorably outwards from the map’s centre. The large route numbers at each terminus are great, as […]

Submission – A History of San Francisco Area Street Rail Transit by Travis Emick

February 19, 2021
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Submitted by Travis, who says: I made an animated visualization of the light rail infrastructure of San Francisco from 1850–to–nowish. I was wondering if you would be interested in posting! Transit Maps says: I sure would be, Travis! This is a great 15-minute video that succinctly outlines the rise and fall of rail-based street transit in San Francisco, Oakland and even Marin County. The sheer number of competing companies in the early years is quite […]

Submission – Twin Cities Travel Time Cartogram by Avian Ciganko-Ford

February 17, 2021
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Submitted by Avian, who says: Hello Cameron! Last week my WiFi was out so I was disrupted from my usual cartographic routine and decided try something outside the box. What I ended up coming up with was this cartogram showing travel time between light rail stations in the Twin Cities. I always find it to be a creature comfort when transit maps tell me travel time between stations, and it can really highlight some advantages […]

Official Map: Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) System Map, 2021

February 16, 2021
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If the previous RideKC map is an example of a system diagram that doesn’t quite reach its full potential, then this is an example of one that surely does. Really, every system map should strive to be this excellent: a simplified bespoke base map allows just the right amount of geographical information to be shown. The intelligent rotation of the map slightly counter-clockwise to match the local perception of “north”. The use of colour to […]

Submission – Official Map: RideKC System Map, Kansas City, 2021

February 12, 2021
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Submitted by Jon, who says: I’m curious to get your thoughts on the full RideKC Regional Transit Map. RideKC debuted in 2015 as part of the KC Streetcar project [review of the original Streetcar diagram here – Cam], and the RideKC branding is now used for the buses on four transit systems across the metro area, in order to better unify transit across five counties and two states. This map does not show the streetcar […]

Submission – Curvilinear Barcelona Rail Map by Frank Rodriguez

February 8, 2021
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Submitted by Frank, who says: Hello, months ago I designed a curvilinear version of Barcelona’s railways and proximities. I think it’s interesting because it gives a new vision of the lines, and also I tried to make it satisfying to watch. I’d like to receive professional opinions of my works, so I send it in this interesting website. Transit Maps says: This is a really interesting design experiment, and Frank has executed it expertly – […]