All posts filed under: Questions

Reader Question: Which of Beck’s London Underground Maps Do You Prefer?

February 17, 2015
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Question: Which of Beck’s maps of the London Underground do you most prefer, and what properties does it have that elevate it above the others in your opinion as a designer? Answer: My absolute favourite Beck-drawn Tube Map is actually his unpublished 1961 Victoria Line proposal, which I wrote about in this post back in 2012. Go take a look at it – it’s simply gorgeous, with an arrow-straight lavender Victoria Line cutting directly across […]

Reader Question: Do You Know What the Organizational Principle is for Layering Subway Lines on the NYC Map?

February 12, 2015
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Question: Do you know what the organizational principle is for layering subway lines on the current NYC map? I received a question from meltedchandelier​ yesterday that asked: Hi, I’m hoping you can solve a query that a friend and I have been able to figure out forever. Do you know what the organizational principle is for layering certain NYC subway lines on top of others where they intersect on the current version of the map […]

Reader Question: Why is Homebush Station Shown as a Spur on the New Sydney Rail Map?

November 27, 2014
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Question: Dear TM, on the new Sydney rail map, Homebush station is situated on a spur all by itself. Could you perhaps explain why? Answer: Yeah, the map doesn’t make the reasoning behind this very clear, does it? It’s because Homebush is a terminus for all T2 “all stations” trains from the city. However, limited stops trains that are heading further west (almost) always bypass Homebush without stopping, hence the “gap” in the main line […]

Reader Question: Do the MAX Rail Yellow and Green Lines Terminate at PSU or Loop Around?

September 8, 2014
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Question: Do the MAX Rail Yellow And Green lines Terminate at PSU or loop around? On the official map, they terminate and on your combined rail map they loop around. Answer: Operationally, Green and Yellow Line trains terminate southbound at the SW Jackson station. All passengers have to disembark there, but the trains do then enter a loop between SW Jackson and the SW College station for a short layover before changing their destination blinds […]

Reader Question: You’ve Never Reviewed the Actual Tube Map. Why?

September 1, 2014
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Question: I don’t think you’ve ever reviewed the actual tube map. Is there a reason for this? Answer: It’s true – I haven’t reviewed the current official Tube map, although I’ve had plenty to say about various historical and unofficial versions of it. When it comes down to it, I just don’t feel I have much to add to the conversation – it’s one of the most well-known and written about transit maps in the […]

Question: Differentiating Local/Express Services

August 23, 2014
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An anon asks: What is the best way to display two different lines that share a section if one acts as a local service and the other as an express service? I wanted to use ticks to represent the stations on this map, is there any approach to this problem that allows me to use it? Transit Maps says: The solution here is best summed up by the words of the great Massimo Vignelli, who […]

Question: What’s a good way to display one-way routes on a map?

August 4, 2014
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The only correct answer to this is is to use an arrow that points in the direction of travel. However, there’s plenty of different ways to integrate that arrow into your artwork, as the examples above show: next to your route lines, within your route lines, or even as an integral part of your route line. A lot of it depends on the aesthetic vision of the map, or how much space is available. If […]

Reader Question: What do you think of Sound Transit’s station icons?

April 1, 2014
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Question: What do you think of Sound Transit’s station icons? I find them ineffective and embarrassing. And, they want opinions for new icons for new stations! You can see the survey yourself here. Answer: I talked about Sound Transit’s station icons in this review of the Link map that’s found in ST’s timetable book back in December 2012. Like you, I’m not particularly impressed by them. I think they’re overly detailed and they reproduce terribly […]

Reader Question – What’s the Best Way to Hang a Map on a Wall?

December 9, 2013
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Here’s a question from Didier that’s a little outside the normal boundaries of this blog, but I think I’ve got a couple of ideas on the subject… Hi Cam, What is the best way to hang a map on a wall? I don’t really want to frame it, but I don’t think pins would be/look great. How do you hang maps on your walls? Thanks and your work is amazing. Transit Maps says: Thanks for […]

Weekend Fun: Name That Transit System!

April 26, 2013
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Here’s something a bit different, just for kicks. These extremely abstracted topological diagrams of U.S. rail transit systems were sent to me by Herbie Markwort, who runs the Gateway Streets blog about transportation issues in St. Louis. Personally, I love the way that these diagrams look. Simplified down to their bare essentials – connecting points and termini – the systems take on an almost runic appearance. As much as possible, the distance between connection points […]