All posts filed under: Official Maps

Official Map: Metro and Tramway, Marseille, France, 2012

May 15, 2012
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Not every transit map conforms to the Beck-inspired 45-degree angles norm. Many of these maps choose instead to be more geographically accurate, but some – such as this example from Marseille, France – veer towards the surreal, with routes careening crazily all over the place with little sense of aesthetics or clarity. Have we been there? I spent half an hour at Marseille St. Charles waiting for a train to Nice, but haven’t ventured out […]

Official Map: JFK Airport AirTrain Map, New York, 2011

April 30, 2012
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This map is at the request of an anonymous follower, who wrote this about this map: Truly terrible transit map that deserves a lashing: the AirTrain JFK. Way too complicated for something that should be fairly simple. Even worse are the TV screens in the stations showing information about where the train at each platform is going, which completely obscure the most important information. Now, I can’t comment on the info screens, as I’ve never […]

Official Map: Bus and Tram Network Map, Strasbourg, France, 2012

April 27, 2012
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In general, I hold European transit maps in better regard than maps from other parts of the world. Crisp, clear European graphic design and transit maps just seem to be made for each other! Of course, there’s always exceptions to the rule, and this map from the Compagnie des Transports Strasbourgeois (CTS) in Strasbourg, France is one of those exceptions. Have we been there? Yes, in December 2003. I found the trams pretty easy to […]

Photo: Tyne & Wear Metro In-Car Map

April 26, 2012
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If anything, I actually like this elongated layout better than the actual official system map (reviewed here) – the removal of the geography and the addition of zone information makes the design both cleaner and more useful. Great use of an awkward space. Source: LiamC1995/Flickr

Official Map: Metro do Porto, Portugal, 2012

April 24, 2012
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Porto, Portugal’s Metro light rail system is only ten years old, but is already a comprehensive and far-reaching network. With such a modern transit system, it’s important to have a map to match, and in most respects, this one certainly fits the bill. But does everything have to be so small? Have we been there? No. What we like: Some beautifully crafted elements, especially the bespoke icons for connecting services (bus, train, airport, etc.) Too […]

Official Map: Vancouver, BC Frequent Transit Network, 2012

April 17, 2012
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Here’s a question I received from Tumblr user pw3n: “TransLink (in Vancouver) just released their first official Frequent Transit Network map. A lot could be said about the design (in particular, the apparent lack of craftsmanship), but that’s not what I want to ask you about. The first thing I noticed was a lack of route numbers. At first I was annoyed. But then I thought: do I care what bus is coming by, as […]

Official Map: Rotterdam Metro, The Netherlands, 2012

April 9, 2012
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The very best transit diagrams have every element working in harmony to present a cohesive visual message. When even one element is out of place, a map can suffer. When that element is as important as the depiction of the region’s geography, the results can be disastrous, as shown by this map of Rotterdam’s Metro. Have we been there? No. What we like: The routes themselves are shown very clearly, with interchange stations and the […]

Official Map: Hong Kong MTR, 2012

April 4, 2012
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Opened in 1979, the Hong Kong MTR (Mass Transit Railway) has a very clean, easy to understand map that visually owes a debt to its previous colonial owners – the UK – via the London Tube map. Have we been there? No (the airport by itself doesn’t count). What we like: Clean and elegant, even with the bilingual requirements of the map. Some unusual but lovely colours for some of the routes, especially the teal […]

Official Map: Maryland Transit Administration Regional Transit Map, 2012

March 30, 2012
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Here’s a large-format multi-modal map from the Maryland Transit Authority, centered on Baltimore. Contrast it against this previously reviewed map of similar scope from the Los Angeles Metro, and it can be seen that the MTA map has got a far better balance of design and usability, and is actually a quite superb and comprehensive map. Have we been there? No. What we like: Incredibly legible for such a dense map. It shows light rail, […]

Official Map: Milan Metro and Suburban Rail Service, 2012

March 30, 2012
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Milan’s Metropolitana subway system is Italy’s largest, and is supported by a comprehensive network of suburban and regional trains. It’s also linked by an amazing tram system, but no indication of those services, or connections to it, are presented on this map. Have we been there? Yes, although I didn’t use the Metro, preferring to walk around Milan’s dense historic core. What we like: Use of blue for the thinner suburban rail lines gives them […]