All posts filed under: Official Maps

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 […]

Official Map: Metro de Madrid, Spain, 2012

March 27, 2012
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Another map that asks the question: how much abstraction and geographical simplification is too much? From what I understand, this map of the Madrid Metro system has proved somewhat controversial since its introduction in 2007. Unlike most other diagrammatic maps, this one completely eschews even 45-degree angles: reducing the map to its most basic form – and one even further removed from the city’s underlying geography. Have we been there? No, but would love to! […]

Official Map: TransLink Bus and Rail Network, Brisbane and South East Queensland, Australia

March 26, 2012
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It’s just occurred to me that I haven’t posted a single map yet from my native land, Terra Australis… so let’s rectify that now with this map of Brisbane’s Translink commuter rail service, supporting Railbus service that complements that service, and busways – dedicated roadways for commuter bus service (BRT). The first thing to notice about this map is the vast area it covers: over 260km (160 miles) from north to south, and around 50km […]

Official Map: Washington D.C. Metro “Rush+” System Map, 2012

March 22, 2012
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Even though I’ve never been there, I have a history with the Washington, D.C. Metro system. My redesign of it has proved very popular, winning the Peoples’ choice award in last year’s Greater Greater Washington “Redesign the Metro Map” competition. My general dislike of the venerable official map is fairly well known, but it’s still exciting to see this new version, the first stepping stone on the way to the map that will be needed […]

Official Map: Transports en Commun Lyonnais System Map, Lyon, France, 2012

March 15, 2012
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Requested by clubmaintenant. Another fine example of a multimodal map, this time from Lyon, France. This map shows Métro, tram, bus and funicular service, as well as indications of connections to SNCF mainline train services in a map that wears its London Underground influences on its sleeve. Have we been there? No. What we like: Lovely clear layout, with almost all lines reduced to horizontals or verticals – only a few 45-degree route lines are […]

Official Map: Metro de Santiago, Chile, 2012

March 6, 2012
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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 […]

Official Map: Los Angeles Metro Bus and Rail Services

February 23, 2012
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I really, really don’t know what to think about this map. On one hand, it looks amazing, with a solid and well applied design theme. On the other, it’s so rich with information (with around 200 Metro-run routes plus those of Municipal bus operators!) that’s it’s almost impossible to make anything out clearly. Maybe this is a case of form over function, or maybe it needs to be viewed at it’s actual poster dimensions (which, […]

Official Map: Vaporetto Routes of Venice, Italy, 2012

February 18, 2012
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Venice is one of those places that has to be experienced to fully appreciate it. Forever and inextricably tied to the ocean, Venice’s transit system has always been vaporetti and traghetti rather than buses and trains. You walk, or you get on a boat – there is no other way to get around. As shown in my photo above (taken on a misty morning at the Ferrovia wharf), there’s a certain sense of mystery and […]

Official Map: Key Bus Routes in Central London, 2012

February 11, 2012
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This charming diagram produced by Transport for London is obviously targeted at tourists, but still manages to pack a lot of information in – bus routes, tourist attractions, connections to the Tube, Overground, DLR, National Rail and river ferries. That it still manages to look attractive and be easy to follow makes it all the better. Have we been there? Yes, and I even got off the Tube to catch a bus here and there. […]