A excellent example of how strong transit map design is carried across to other elements of the user experience: here, strong and easily understood wayfinding signage in the Barcelona Metro.
Source: airways/Flickr
Photo: Barcelona Wayfinding Signage
Official Map: Subte, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2011
This map is another fine example of how to integrate a transit diagram onto a street grid. The streets are shown in a subordinate grey at a thinner line weight, and fade away to nothing when no longer needed. The bright, bold subway lines stand out well against this background, and lots of important information is clearly marked.
One piece of information that I don’t think I’ve seen on any other transit map: a line through the middle of a circular station marker denotes that the platforms are central (island) platforms, rather than side platforms. By extension, this must mean that the “half-circles” at Alberti and Pasco stations on the “A Line” denote that there is only one platform (in one direction only?) at those stations.
Have we been there? No
What we like: Clean, crisp, distinctive design. The inset for the “P Line” – a connecting tram service (PreMetro) – works really well, filling in an otherwise blank space and allowing the map to remain in a compact rectangular form. Really like the simplicity of the transfer station symbols.
What we don’t like: The icons for main line railway stations seem a little clunky and not as well thought-out as the other icons. And are they even really necessary? The blue “transfer to railway station” icons serve the same purpose and are far more distinctive. The “U Line” marker looks out of place with no route line to accompany it.
Our rating: Excellent and distinctive design – this map looks like no other transit map, with a unique style all of its own. Four-and-a-half-stars.
Source: Official Subte website
Photo: Map
When your system is as big and complex as Berlin’s, you need a big-ass map on the wall to show you where you’re going.
Source: eelke dekker/Flickr
Unofficial Map: The Accessible Underground, 2007
Older transit systems like the London Underground face huge problems with access for disabled users. Originally constructed at a time when such things were not thought about, retrofitting is expensive and difficult. Sometimes, even stations that rely on elevators for platform access – like Russell Square on the Piccadilly Line – are still not wheelchair-accessible, because there’s still a flight of stairs between the elevator and the platform.
So what does the London Underground look like for a disabled user? That’s what this intelligent and disarmingly simple diagram attempts to show. By simply deleting non-accessible stations from the famous Tube map, a stark picture is presented. Only on the newer Jubilee and Docklands Light Rail lines are there a decent amount of accessible stations. The original author counts just 82 out of a total 275 stations (33 percent) as having access in 2007.
Matters have improved somewhat in the last few years, with the current Tube Map showing quite a few more stations with access, as well as differentiating between step-free platform access and step-free train access – an important distinction that takes “Mind The Gap” to its logical extreme.
Our rating: Thought-provoking. 5 stars.
Source: Just Urbanism – link no longer active
Official Map: Oslo T-bane (Metro) System, 2011
An excellent example of a fully diagrammatic metro map. Clearly marked routes (both by number and end station name), bright and attractive colours and lots of useful information like bus, tram and main line railway interchanges. The city centre area is nicely denoted by showing it as a white square against the light grey background – the information is there, but is definitely subordinate to the main purpose of the map. There also appears to be some thought put into making the map future-proof: note the gap between Majorstuen and Nationalthreatret stations, where a new station, Homansbyen, will be built; and the extension of the 6 Line which is currently being brought up to full T-bane standards.
Have we been there? No
What we like: The lovely gradient between the dark blue 4 Line and cyan 6 Line as the service changes from one to the other on the Ring Line. Effective and easy to understand tram and bus interchange information.
What we don’t like: The black tick marks for normal stations seem a little tacked on – I think I would prefer ticks in the same colour as the line they’re on. The white keyline strangely disappears on the 6 Line after Jar station – a mistake?
Our rating: Really quite excellent. 4 stars.
Source: Official T-banen Website
Photo: Seeking Enlightenment
Historical Map: Los Angeles Pacific Electric Relief Map, 1920
A fascinating snapshot in time of the full extent of the great Pacific Electric Railway Company’s operations in Los Angeles and southern California. The famous “Red Cars”, a combination of streetcars and interurban light rail spanned vast distances at a time before the car had truly entered the American way of life.
Within 30 years, most of this system – the “largest electric railway system in the world” – had been replaced by motorcoach services on gleaming new highways. Only now is it being gradually replaced – often along the same right-of-way – by Metro’s light rail.
The map itself is beautiful. Made long before Google Earth, or even practical aerial photography, I’m almost certain this this is actually a photograph of a model of southern California that has been printed – all the cartographic details have then been painstakingly added by hand, including the distinctive red tinting of the company’s lines.
Have we been there? Yes, but current rail transit makes it almost impossible to get to the city from the airport. I caught a cab.
What we like: The absolute attention to detail and craftsmanship that went into making this map. It’s a spectacular moment frozen in time – rail transit at its absolute zenith.
What we don’t like: Not actually useful for trip planning as no actual routes are called out in any detail. In a way, this is simply a propaganda piece, basically saying “look at how big our glorious rail system is”.
Our rating: An amazing piece of rail history, but not really a transit map for every day usage. Stunning, nonetheless. Four-and-a-half-stars.
Prints of this map are available in the Transit Maps online store.
Source: Jeremy Jozwik/Flickr
Official Map: Chicago CTA “L” Commuter Rail, 2011
Chicago’s street grid is so incredibly regular that this map seems to be a rectilinear diagram. It’s only after observing some odd little twists and turns in the route lines that you realise that this is actually a fairly geographically accurate map – so much so that the downtown Loop is represented in an detail inset because it would otherwise appear too small to decipher. Even the station names pretty much conform to the grid – in effect, labelling the major streets of the city. This does call attention to a strange feature of the system: repetition of station names on different lines. I count four separate “Pulaski” stations! It’s obviously not a problem, as people would identify them by their respective line colours, but it’s not something I’ve seen very often in other transit systems.
In the end, I feel this hybrid approach ultimately works against the map – it looks so much like a diagram that the jinks in the route lines almost look like mistakes. They’re not, of course, but the effect is a bit unsettling.
Have we been there? Yes, but I don’t have the fondest memories of the “L”, as the Blue Line was under heavy construction, with extremely limited speeds and then bus service to downtown. Almost didn’t make my flight out of Chicago because of it.
What we like: Station labels are (almost; see below) limited to two directions only, allowing for easier reading. The Loop inset allows a lot of downtown detail without compromising the integrity of the rest of the map. The thinning of the lines as they enter the area that the inset represents is quite effective.
What we don’t like: There are only two station names set at a 45-degree angle (Ashland and Clinton on the Green/Pink lines) and they look really out of place, especially as there’s room to run them horizontally. Colour scheme for the background is uninspiring. The dashed line for rush service on the Blue Purple line looks very wonky in places. Some very minor twists in the route lines look overly fussy and unnecessary: the western end of the Pink line, for example. Black outline on the Yellow Line looks heavy-handed and out of place.
Our rating: A solid map that conveys information well enough. It just lacks that certain spark to lift it above the merely informational. Three stars.
Source: Official CTA website
Historical Map: Stuttgart VVS Map, circa 2000
Without a doubt, this has to be one of my favourite transit maps ever. As far as I know, this isometric approach is unique and it is staggeringly effective. Everything is beautifully labelled, and lovely icons highlight important sites like the zoo, museums and sports stadiums. Unfortunately, this stunning map has since been replaced by a far more conventional diagram – a great loss in my opinion.
Have we been there? I’ve changed trains at the Hauptbahnhof, but have never ventured into the city itself.
What we like: The clever three-dimensional representation of the Hauptbahnhof, complete with corner tower, does a lot to complete the illusion of dimensionality. The isometric layout is a clever way of allowing all the type to be set horizontally without hitting route lines. Subtly different line weights for the S-Bahn and U-Bahn work really well.
What we don’t like: The isometric effect is so effective and convincing that the one and only horizontal line — the R31 across the top of the diagram — looks strangely out of place.
Our rating: Undeniably brilliant. 5 stars.
Source: Stuttgart City Information Site
Photo: Old Metropolitan Line Map
Love this, such attention to detail. Every aspect has been carefully considered and it shows. Especially love the outlined version of the LU roundel to counterbalance the heavy METROPOLITAN LINE reversed text next to it. Can anyone date this for me?
Source: garethr1/Flickr