The NJ Transit rail map has basically looked the same – and has retained most of its faults – since I reviewed it back in the very early days of the blog [November 2011, 1.5 stars], so it came as a surprise when I discovered that that diagram has been replaced with a new geographical map this month. NJ Transit has been down this path before, with similar maps used around 20 years ago, though this design is considerably cleaner than that very muddy execution.
One of the main problems with the previous diagram is that it simultaneously had to show a sprawling statewide network as well as local services like PATH, and the Hudson-Bergen light rail. Obviously, these are at very different levels of scale and detail, and the diagram struggled because of it, unsatisfactorily compressing the considerable detail around Newark/New York into a very small part of the diagram.
The solution chosen here – a statewide geographical map supplemented with local area insets where needed – isn’t groundbreaking, but it is effective and a massive improvement. The cleverest part is the way the bottom third of the map gets rotated 45 degrees counter-clockwise to save massive amounts of space: the Atlantic City Line runs neatly across the bottom of the map instead of having to drop towards the southeast. The map’s border does a lot of good work here, clearly separating the two parts of the map, while making it clear that there’s continuity between the sections at Bordentown.
The diagrammatic insets are neatly drawn with a minimum of fuss, though the colours used for some of the light rail lines could perhaps be better differentiated: it’s a little hard to tell PATH’s grey apart from the dull brown of the Hudson-Bergen light rail, for example. I also like it when the background colours used in an inset are subtly different to those used on the main map, just to help set them above and apart. A leading line or arrow linking the insets to the part of the main map that they’re magnifying would also be handy.
Our final word: One of those rare occasions where a geographical rail map is superior to a diagram. It’s not perfect, but I think it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
Source: NJ Transit website
Overall, the map is pretty good. I agree with you about background colors in insets; in this case I suspect that they are the same as the main map in order to use the same colors for the states. I wish the logos for the lines were a consistent distance from the lines they represent. They’re at varying distances, and the Coast Line logo looks like it is marking Monmouth Battlefield rather than a railroad line that runs along the shore. And I know that the Statue of Liberty was part of the Jersey Central herald, but that railroad was merged into Conrail more than 45 years ago. Will all the map users know why the Statue of Liberty is way out in the western hills of New Jersey? And I realize that for some reason “LINE” in River Line has been in all capital letters since the service started. Is it an acronym I’ve never puzzled out? Maybe this map would be a good place for NJ Transit to start explaining what it means. Did somebody not notice a “Caps lock is on” warning, or does it signify something?
The largest/boldest typeface on the map seems to be reserved for advertising “BETMGM” (next to the Meadowlands station). I wonder if there’s a deal brewing between NJT and the online gambling/sports betting organization. The Philadelphia inset shows only Amtrak going to Trenton, even though NJT sells through tickets for the SEPTA service between those two points. Also Watsessing Avenue station on the Montclair-Boonton line retains its plain Watsessing title on the new map, although its name is shown properly in timetables.
The South Jersey rotation is indeed unique, and helpful. Also note the Port Jervis box at the top, which is more than a regular inset — it’s really an extension of the map.
I don’t love the depiction of the three lines (Gladstone, Morristown, Montclair) passing under the Newark/NE Corridor lines in the main map, and like it in the NYC-area inset even less.
I also think they could have done transit riders a favor by drawing the Trenton-Philadelphia 30th Street Amtrak/SEPTA line all the way, instead of the directional arrows they have now (and Jack is right about the missing SEPTA logo on the Philly inset end). And the PATCO lines could’ve been made easier to read in the inset, even if it’s not their service. But let’s be honest, 80% of NJT riders are going to be concerned with the North Jersey lines.
Steve the “River LINE” styling is just how they write it, and has been ever since they opened in the early 2000s.
Finally, I’m curious what all this would look like as a purely diagrammatic design, dispensing with the geography. Admittedly it’s a lot of lines covering most of an entire state (and then some) so perhaps seeing the geographical relationship is more important than (potential) increased readability.
Ivan, as I mention in my review, the previous version of the map from 2011 to earlier this year was completely diagrammatic – and less than 100% successful, in my opinion.