Submitted by Mitch, who says:
Canberra’s CapitalMetro light rail project will (apparently) commence construction this year. The community is still fairly divided over whether it’s a good idea – I wonder if a more appealing transit map would increase support?
Transit Maps says:
It’s not exactly exciting, is it? But that’s always a problem with a single-line light rail project: just exactly how do you make it look more impressive? I’ll give this one a pass for now as it’s obviously more of a planning/corridor map – complete with 750-metre-diameter walking distance circles – than a real transit map. Basically, it’s designed to introduce people to the project and its general trajectory, rather than act as a navigational tool. Hence the emphasis on the names of Northbourne Avenue and Flemington Road, as well as the calling out of the City, Dickson and Gungahlin as major destinations along the route.
One interesting thing about the map is the choices it makes for the stop names along the way. Street names often change when they hit Northbourne Avenue, so there’s a choice between two names for the map. Here’s what they chose, compared to the other option:
- Elouera Street (east of Northbourne) over Gould Street
- Condamine Street (west of Northbourne) over Ipima Street
- Macarthur Avenue (west of Northbourne) over Wakefield Avenue
As they’ve chosen names from either side of Northbourne, I’d say that the decisions are very deliberate, picking the more evocative name each time. All part of the psychology of gaining acceptance for the project!
Our rating: A perfectly average planning map. Hoping for something more exciting upon the project’s completion! 2.5 stars.
Source: CapitalMetro project page – link no longer active