Submitted by David, who says:

NYC is relaunching its ferry service today, and they’ve produced a subway-style map to illustrate the service. The typeface and station symbols seem a bit more London than NYC to me, but otherwise seems like a decent map. What do you think?

Transit Maps says:

Apparently, the first morning of this “new and improved” ferry service didn’t go that well today, as the Mayor’s photo opportunity caused major service delays and prevented riders from boarding because the boat was filled up with dignitaries and media. Not exactly setting a positive tone from the start, but I digress…

The map, while competently drawn, really seems like a massive missed opportunity to me. It’s very empty, and fails to show how the ferry system connects with other transit options. Are there subway stations within a half-mile walk of the ferry wharves, especially on the Manhattan side where people may need to continue their journey to their office location? What about connecting bus services? The ferries don’t exist in isolation, but as part of a greater transportation whole, and that should really be reflected on the map. 

But, hey, we get to see where Central and Prospect parks are (not near the water).

Some other comments: there’s a couple of truncated labels (“-HATTAN” is the most egregious), and the coastline treatment veers awkwardly between very simple (Manhattan) and overly complex (Jamaica Bay).

Our rating: This really strikes me as a “bare minimum” effort. The new service has a map that shows where the ferries go, and that’s about it. Could be so much more with a little thought. Two stars.

Source: NYC Ferry