Submitted by Renno, who says:

The lockdowns have given many people ample opportunities to put their creativity to the test. For me – a lover of public transport, maps and our planet’s northern fringes – it was only a matter of time before the Faroe Islands would pop up once again. A tantalisingly beautiful place with an equally beautiful public transport system. A system of simplicity in a geography so gorgeous.

This map is a clear breakaway from the existing map, which you reviewed back in 2013 (3 stars – Cam). I stepped away from the angular style and instead chose the curly windy way. It also includes one key city bus route that is part of the national network. Text boxes on road planning imply that this map is not to be used for travellers, but time-travellers: it advocates the public transport mind-set in urban planning, in a country where car is king.

The map features a selection of wild proposals and some wilder projects currently under construction. Two sub-sea tunnels are currently in the making, of which particularly the Eysturoyartunnilin (opening soon) is a game changer. It paves the final link in the country’s population centre, stretching from capital Tórshavn over to Runavík and second-city Klaksvík. Trips to the capital will see cuts of half an hour up to 50 minutes, on journeys that currently take 70 minutes.

A cast-iron law in geography has it that when distances halve, interaction doubles. The tunnel will not only reroute traffic (substitution effect) but also create new journeys (induced demand). Obviously there needs to be potential for increased interaction, but the flight of suburbanisation, the ever-increasing pressure on the housing market, and new activity around Runavík are telling. This will put the traffic system under pressure and offers the window to upgrade the current bus system. A frequent, high-quality, storm-proof network with hourly connections is possible in the Tórshavn-Klaksvík axis. At a set headway of every 60 minutes, the routes in this axis form the backbone of the network.

New colours, a new shape, a new network. The result of an experiment basically, to see how the curly concept would work, and in the process this plan grew around it. Not intended for the (armchair) tourist, but for a local audience. So Transit Maps, what’s your verdict?

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Transit Maps says:

Regardless of how “wild” these proposals might be, this is a gorgeous map and I applaud Renno for making it. This is exactly the type of thing I’m talking about when I say that maps that show a vision of the future have to be inspirational and dynamic to get people excited to see that vision become a reality. The bright, bold, curved route lines work perfectly in that regard: stylised and stylish, but still linked just enough to the geography of the islands to be recognisable. The frequency of routes is easily discerned by line thickness and the overall visual effect is very pleasing.

The call out boxes are filled with useful information about the projects, though perhaps they could be a little larger for legibility’s sake. There’s plenty of room in the open ocean areas to enlarge them.

My biggest complaint (and it’s still pretty minor) is the drop shadow used on the islands: it’s tonally very similar to the grey used for the islands themselves and seems to blur their outline in parts, especially towards the top of the map where there’s more small islands close to each other. I personally like to use a multiplied blue drop shadow for coastline, perhaps even with a thin keyline separating the land and shadow to keep the shape well defined.

Our final word: I love this – a beautifully executed vision of an ambitious future. 5/5 stars.

Note: Renno wrote some further detailed background information for this project – I include it below for those who want to read further:

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Why would people in this windswept place give public transport a chance? For your own benefit and to merit others. For individuals, it saves queuing, parking quests (and parking costs in the future?), tunnel tolls, and it turns the boring 11 km tunnel ride into social media time. This serves pupils and students at Glasir or Handilsskúlin, but also people who work in the capital. People who cannot drive can comfortably visit family or the hospital. Or safely have a drink in town. Meanwhile it enables Tórshavn people to commute to other schools, offices, shops and recreation areas just as easily.

Effective bus systems also reduces negative impacts of traffic on urban space. Tórshavn effectively is a huge car park for its daily stream of commuters. This means stationary metal consumes precious urban space for most of the day. Traffic also produces noise, air pollution and road safety concerns. A Park-and-Ride with frequent buses into town offer an alternative to travel the ‘last mile’.

Especially Hvítanes offers a triple A location for a P+R. All routes combined mount up to over 100 trips per day in each direction. At least 40 SSL buses use the new highway between SMS shopping centre and Hvítanes, while city buses tie all neighbourhoods up to the network every 10 minutes during daytime. Reliability is key. Buses must connect to each other and to all important places. It will get you where you want to go, when you want to go. This requires synced timetables and guaranteed transfers.

There is more. Road and land-use planning must include public transport design. Buses do not like sharp turns or dead-ending streets. The straighter the route and the closer to where the people actually are, the more useful, and the more passengers. Short busways with ‘bus traps’ (bussslúsur) can form a connection between cul-de-sacs (blindgøtur), which normally block off and prevent efficient bus servicing, as collateral damage of keeping undesired cars out of the quiet streets. Bus stops along main roads should include footpaths to the residential areas. Highway exits should have bus stops for intercity buses to leave and re-enter the highway quickly. Shopping centres and regional schools require bus stations nearby. All of this is easy when the iron is hot, but costs a fortune to mend later on.

The Faroe Islands are changing their society with the Eysturoyartunnilin, including mobility and land-use patterns. Towns are growing, útstýkkingar (public greenfield developments) all around, the number of cars doubled in two decades with no ‘flattening the curve’, tourism booming, and commuting a normal ritual of daily life. Four local bus systems have been installed in ten years and Tórshavn’s has expanded. Now it’s time for a vision for the future. Even small design flaws rule out effective mobility for decades to come. Far beyond the next elections.

This plan is NOT to say goodbye to the car, as cars are intrinsically linked to Faroese life. Instead, public transport has the chance to decelerate growth of extra traffic. For those people driving the same trip to Tórshavn day in day out, it can provide a real alternative. Either for the full trip or part of it. On a daily basis or occasionally. With benefits for yourself, your children or other people in the community. Now and in the future.

The Eysturoyartunnilin is the moment to plan the future. Let’s brainstorm, let’s sketch, let’s explore. Would Skálatrøð square still be necessary as a car park, if there’s every 60 minutes a bus directly from Skálafjørður? And every 30 minutes from Kollafjørður? And every 10 minutes from Hvítanes?