Submitted by Josh, who says:
Hello! I’m a designer in Los Angeles excited by all the new rail infrastructure being built here. I decided to make a map showing what the Metro network might look like in 30 years assuming generous transit funding. It’s my first time designing a map this complex so I’m definitely curious for your thoughts.
The new lines are mostly built from pieces and combinations of current plans, including a finished California High-Speed Rail and a network of Bus Rapid Transit corridors. All told, this map existing would cost somewhere around $40 billion and mean 8 new capital projects, and expediting 5 projects that are currently planned for completion after 2050.
There’s more process info and other details on my site here.
Transit Maps says:
There’s a lot to like about Josh’s map, both in its design and in its optimism for the future. The network of light grey dotted lines underneath the main routes — which I originally simply took as an indication of LA’s street grid — indicates an extensive BRT network with 15-minute-or-less headways. In Josh’s future, the California High-Speed Rail is fully built out, Metrolink is electrified, and there are just 16 gas stations left in all of Los Angeles County. Quite the vision!
Design-wise, the influence of the official LA Metro map and corporate identity is hard to ignore, but I think Josh has done well to adapt and improve upon it to accommodate his concept. The downtown area is particularly clear and easy to understand, even after the addition of the Regional Connector. Turning Union Station into its own large “infobox” is a particularly smart choice — it gives the most important part of the network more prominence on the nap, and it looks much neater than trying to cobble together a lot of connected interchange icons. I also like the more natural path that the so-called Los Angeles River takes across the map: it’s always seemed just a little too straight on the official map to me since they started including it.
Minor problems: the green “parkland” areas of the background seem a little dark and heavy, and the southern branch of the gold “E” line in East LA needs a curve as it exits Atlantic station to indicate which direction trains go in, specially for inbound services (do they go towards Union Station, or are they a shuttle to Peck? It’s a little ambiguous at the moment).
The final word: Probably one of the nicest-looking “future LA” transit maps I’ve seen, and there’s been a few of them! Four stars.
I wonder, too, if highlighting the freeways a bit differently than major roads might be helpful.
I really like the Venice beach to Dodger stadium idea. Right now there are plans to bend the Crenshaw north line with some pushing for a spur line.. But in the current public comment phase the spur line is losing badly. A map like this would definitely help the spur gain popularity as it shows the possibility of a cool fully built out line.
Can you please submit this map to the comments for the Crenshaw North extension? The La Brea route for the extension makes perfect sense if you build a Santa Monica spur, but the spur line has no sex appeal. Your Venice to Dodge stadium line would make the spur option much more popular than it currently is. Then the spur could be extended east and west as depicted in your fantasy map once funding becomes available.
i like this except the red B line should go to burbank airport instead