Historical Map: Boston MTA System, c. 1940s

November 29, 2011
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Another aerial-style view of a transit system – this time of Boston’s MTA (Metropolitan Transit Authority: now known as the “T”) subway system. The attention to detail is wonderful, with each station and tunnel lovingly and accurately rendered. Note how the routes have different colours to the current map: the current colours come from a system-wide rebranding in the 1960s.

Have we been there? Yes, and I used the “T” extensively while there.

What we like: Overall effect is charming, but also extremely detailed. Fantastic historical value.

What we don’t like: Black squares for “M.T.A. Public Auto Parks” seem a little tacked on. As always, the streetcar sections of the modern Green Line get the short end of the stick, just fading off into nothing once above ground. (Compare to the current map, where only select stations are named.)

Our rating: Lovely historical record, but necessarily not the most usable map. Marvellously done, nonetheless. Four stars.

Source: vanshnookenraggen/Flickr

Official Map: Taipei MRT, Taiwan, 2011

November 28, 2011
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Taipei’s Metro system only began construction in 1988, but now has almost 90 stations and over 100km of track. All this comes at a price however, with Phase One of the system costing US$18 billion and Phase Two (currently under construction) estimated to cost US$13.8 billion upon completion.

Have we been there? No.

What we like: Nice diagrammatic representation – the stylised rivers are handled much better on this diagram than on the Tyne & Wear Metro, with the gradual thinning being very subtly done in most instances. Obvious distinction between transfer stations and regular ones.

What we don’t like: Station names get very close to the route lines in some places. Having bilingual names makes this difficult, but the placement seems inconsistent at times. Noting stations that link to the HSR and other mainline trains in the legend but not on the map is not very helpful: it took me a long time to locate Banqiao station (the secondary HSR station) or Songshan Airport station on the map. Icons located by the relevant stations on the map would work much better.

Our rating: A solid map, but not inspiring. Three stars.

Source: Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation website

New MTA Wayfinding Signage

November 24, 2011
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Nice supplementary wayfinding signage at New York’s Union Square Station. YOU ARE HERE.

Source: Nick Sherman/Flickr

Official Map: Los Angeles Metro, 2011

November 23, 2011
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Requested by Mr. Grafix, among others.

Public transportation in LA is making a comeback, decades after the last streetcar line was ripped up. At the heart of this renaissance is the Metro system, an odd combination of light rail (Blue, Green and Yellow lines), heavy rail (Red and Purple lines) and Bus Rapid Transit (Orange and Silver lines). The new Expo Line is also nearing completion of Phase I and will be showing up on this map very soon as Light Blue. One thing this map tries desperately hard to hide is how difficult it is to travel between LAX and downtown using Metro: the LAX Shuttle takes you to the Green Line, from which you have to transfer to the Blue Line to reach the city, while the enticingly-named LAX FlyAway bus can take up to 50 minutes to reach its destination, depending on traffic.

Have we been there? Yes, but I haven’t ridden Metro yet.

What we like: Very clean design featuring a distinctive sans serif font (looks like DIN). Makes the important distinction between free and paid parking, as well as noting stations with bike parking. Resists the temptation to put a geographically accurate shoreline around a very diagrammatic representation of the system. Three different versions of this map exist – this one, lines under construction, and Metro plus Metrolink commuter rail – and all work together seamlessly: a job well done.

What we don’t like: Big squares for the BRT stations look a bit heavy-handed. Circle-to-square interchanges are also a bit awkward. While the type is only angled in one direction, some awkward shapes are made where angled type meets horizontal – especially Pico and Grand stations on the Blue Line.

Our rating: Nice clean design that ties in well with Metro’s corporate identity and website – one of the nicer-looking transit identities around at the moment. Four stars.

Source: Official LA Metro website

Official Map: Tyne & Wear Metro, England, 2011

November 17, 2011
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Opened in 1980, the Tyne and Wear Metro is the first of Britain’s modern light rail systems. It also benefits from a very strong corporate identity with the slab serif Calvert typeface (named after its creator and one of the original identity designers in 1977, the famous Margaret Calvert) as a core component. The typeface is used extensively throughout the system, even as wall-sized station names as seen in the photo of Monument Station. Taken on its own on the system map, the typeface seems a little clumsy; but when it is considered as part of the overall identity, it actually works quite well and shows a nice consistency in design.

Have we been there? No.

What we like: Distinctive, industrial-looking design that suits the region perfectly. Love the Metro logo itself: simple, bold and memorable. Clear and easy to read. I like the idea of the grey circles denoting the important city centres of Newcastle and Sunderland, although I wish the circle for Sunderland didn’t extend out over the ocean – is it underwater?

What we don’t like: Treatment of the two rivers that give the region its name is poor – the angles used are inconsistent with the 30/60-degree angle set up by the routes, and the thinning of the rivers just looks ugly.

The “cutouts” of the Tyne’s shoreline used to represent the North to South Shields ferry look terrible and also imply that the ferry departs directly from the Metro stations, when in reality some distance separates them and their respective ferry terminals.

The crossover of the Yellow line at Monument station could perhaps be better shown: trains actually run from South Shields – Monument – North Shields – Monument (again) – St James, but the map is a little ambiguous about this.

Our rating: Despite a few flaws, this is a solid map with a very distinctive look that ties in beautifully with Metro’s corporate identity. Three-and-a-half stars. It would be four, but I really don’t like the treatment of the rivers.

Source: Official Nexus Metro website

Unofficial Map: DC Metro Spiral by Thisisbossi

November 16, 2011
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Related to the parabolic map of the Moscow Metro, here’s a unique take on the Washington, DC Metro – as a spiral. A visually compelling image, and great at showing links between routes, but not actually that useful as a map.

Have we been there? No.

What we like: Amazingly creative way of re-imagining the system. Looks fantastic! Shows links between routes at transfer stations very effectively.

What we don’t like: Absolute lack of geography makes this almost totally useless as an actual map – according to it, all routes run parallel to each other in a spiral. Also implies that all routes are of an equal length, which they are not. While this map could be used to navigate the system if you knew the names of the stations you wanted to travel between, it tells you nothing about how those stations relate to the city around them. Transit maps often abstract geography, but general north/south/east/west relationships need to be shown in some form.

Our rating: Probably best to consider this as art – and good art! – than an actual usable map. As the author himself states, “My opinion is that it’s a map… it’s just not a good one.” Extra points for looking awesome and being creative. 3 stars.

Source/Creator: thisisbossi/Flickr

Unofficial Map: Moscow Metro Parabolic Map

November 15, 2011
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Now this I like. This map takes Moscow’s famous Circle Line and straightens it out completely: all other lines then attach to it parabolically (becoming curved when before they were represented as a straight line). Great work, even if not that practical for real-world use.

Source: bifurcafe/Flickr – link no longer active

Official Map: Rail Transit of Stockholm, Sweden, 2011

November 15, 2011
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I really appreciate transit maps that combine different modes of transit, and this map does just that – showing Metro, light rail, trams and commuter rail in a very clean, restrained manner. Coloured route lines (blue, orange and green) set the dense and important Metro network apart from the subsidiary light rail, tram and commuter rail routes, which are shown in grey and thin black lines. Zone information is displayed through a chilly looking cyan blue background. A complete absence of curves creates a very formal, stiff look to the map. One unusual feature is the way that station markers always remain horizontal or vertical, even when the route line is at 45 degrees – making the stations “slice through” such lines at a distinctive angle.

Have we been there? No.

What we like: Good information hierarchy through intelligent use of colour. Bi-lingual legend. I really like the way the Metro route lines fold over each other as they make a 90-degree turn – an unusual graphic device that works well and lends the map a unique look.

What we don’t like: Perhaps looks a little cold and sterile. The thin double black lines for commuter rail looks a little overly fussy in comparison to the clarity of the rest of the map, although I do like the way two parallel routes are represented by just three lines (the middle line being shared by the two routes).

Our rating: A very clean, solid transit map, if a little sterile. Three-and-a-half stars.

Source: Official SL website

Official Map: Go Transit System Map, Southern Ontario, Canada

November 11, 2011
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It must be the season for redesigning transit maps. Hot on the heels of NJ Transit’s disappointing new system map comes a new map for the Go Transit network that serves Toronto and Southern Ontario. And unlike that NJ Transit map, this one takes the opportunity to create something new, contemporary and exciting – and totally runs with it. Especially when it’s compared to their previous map, which was nothing short of terrible. The old map is cramped, old fashioned and ugly, while the new one is light, airy and modern.

  • Go Transit: New Map
  • Go Transit: Old Map

Have we been there? No.

What we like: A lovely, starkly linear diagram. Bus information is clear, but subsidiary to the train lines. Fits English and French text on without looking crowded.

What we don’t like: I don’t think that the train icon is really needed next to the line names on the map itself – the colours and the legend give enough indicators that these are the train lines. At first glance, the Highway 407 bus service is a little difficult to differentiate from normal routes.

Our rating: A massive improvement on the previous map, with a distinctive look and feel all its own. Four stars!

Source: Go Transit website

Ad Campaign: Cities of the World by Walkman

November 10, 2011
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  • London by Walkman
  • New York by Walkman
  • Sydney by Walkman

A few years old now – Sydney’s Chatswood to Epping rail line is missing – but a clever idea very well executed by Saatchi and Saatchi Australia. Station names are replaced by those of music artists.

Source: AdGoodness – link no longer active