Submitted by long-time correspondent, Kara, who says: Here’s a project I’ve been working on for a while now—quite possibly one of the most difficult maps I’ve ever made. You and I hold similar opinions of Chicago’s RTA system map, namely, that it’s decent, but it could be better. So I’ve been working on optimizing a unified map of Chicago’s urban rail, showing the CTA and the inner regions of the Metra. My goal was to […]
Just to show that there’s always a different way to approach the same design problem, here’s a completely different reworked Tube Map by art director/designer, Rich Cousins. Like me, Rich seems to have reached a breaking point where all the additions to the Tube Map over the years have made him say, “there must be a better way!”, although his criteria for a successful redesign are quite different to mine. Note that this map dates back […]
A final revision to my redrawn Tube Map, exploring a way to visually depict out-of-station interchanges. Also, I've integrated some potential near-future extensions to the Tube lines, just for fun.
Submitted by VoomMaps, who says: Inspired by this schematic map of the Sydney Suburban Network from 1969 (June 2012, 2 stars), I decided to create a retro-looking map of the rail network in 1950 in a similar style. Transit Maps says: I think you’ve nailed the look and feel of this piece quite well, although – like me with my digital recreation of a 1939 map of the Sydney network – you’ve discovered that modern computer-designed […]
Submitted by cellardoor85, who says: As special educator, I work with a 7 year old boy who has memorised the complete Berlin S-/U-Bahn, bus and tram network. Every day, he draws exactly one section of the network (without any mistakes, of course) and gives it to me as a present. Last month I started to puzzle all the parts together into one big map on the wall of my office. The common project is not finished […]
Wow! I've been completely blown away by the (mostly positive) response to my redrawn Tube Map. Thanks to everyone who has left me a comment or note – all of your thoughts help to inform future revisions to the map. There's a few more parts of the map that I'm personally really happy with that I'd like to highlight in a little more detail than the already lengthy initial post allowed. Read on for the details!
What happens when I completely redraw London’s Tube Map in the style of the Tube Map? Not an alternative map, but a rigorous reconstruction of the real thing to bring it back in line with its diagrammatic roots. Read about the project over on my design blog.
London's Tube Map has long been regarded as an icon of informational design, pioneering the way for just about every other schematic transportation map in the world since its inception way back in 1931. But how much of that reputation is actually deserved these days?
I’ll just leave this here for now… more details real soon!
Submitted by Mark Greenwald, this map shows the reality of trying to operate rail rapid transit after a major blizzard – it’s underground or nothing, it seems! Map by the erstwhile Peter Dovak. Source: Metrorail Info Twitter feed
