Historical Map: Compañía General de Ferrocarriles Catalanes, 1954

July 29, 2019
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Here’s a beautiful map from 1954, showing the lines of the Compañía General de Ferrocarriles Catalanes (CGFC), the predecessor of today’s Llobregat–Anoia commuter rail line.

The map is mainly notable for its restrained use of the four colours available to it: black line work with blue, red and yellow all performing precisely one function each.

I also enjoy the economical depiction of Barcelona, which is represented solely by Montjuic, the port area and the towering Columbus Monument. Each of the major towns on the route gets a notable building as well — although the monastery at Montserrat is high above the town itself, connected to it by the famous cable car. Suria and Sallent would seem to be represented by their salt mines, major reasons for these towns to even have a rail connection.

Top marks for the lovely ornate north pointer, in perspective to boot!

Source: Terminus CET/Twitter

Fantasy Map: Los Angeles 2050 by Josh Vredevoogd

July 25, 2019
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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.

Historical Map: Suburban Rail of Brisbane, Australia, c. 1980

July 10, 2019
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A simple but effective map, probably dating from late 1980 as the green Ferny Grove to Ipswich line is shown as being electrified from end to end. This work was completed in September of that year, so that’s the earliest the map could date to. It’s a little hard to see, but there’s a black “catenary line” running down the middle of the green route line with an occasional lightning bolt icon to denote the electrification.

The map uses an odd variety of non-standard angles to make everything fit together, but it’s still pretty coherent and a darn sight easier to read than the modern-day equivalent (though it doesn’t have to deal with busways or extend from Gympie in the north to the Gold Coast in the south). The freehand curve of the Exhibition line is a little at odds with the nice straight lines employed throughout the rest of the map, while some of the station labels get a bit close together on the blue line from Buranda to Norman Park. The labelling on the rest of the map is pretty good, however. Finally, the imprecise nature of the drawn geography has the unfortunate effect of placing the bayside suburbs to the east of the city a long way from the coast, which is a little odd but not a major problem.

The final word: Oddly constructed with a mish-mash of weird angles, but it somehow holds together pretty well. 3 stars.

Source: Dave Murchie/Pinterest

Historical Map/Infographic: History of the Kaiser Ferdinands-Nordbahn, 1838–1853

July 9, 2019
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Every so often, I unexpectedly come across something that’s almost magical in its awesomeness, and this astounding data visualization/map from 1855 is one of those things. I mean, just look at how gorgeous these sample plates are:

Designed by Joseph Stummer, these pages chart the history of the Kaiser Ferdinands-Nordbahn from its foundation in 1838 through to 1853. Each lithographic plate documents two years in astounding detail, with data shown for just about every aspect of the railway: the number of locomotives and cars of different types, revenue sources, freight carried (coal, salt, tobacco, grain, and cattle), dividends paid to shareholders and more. Injections of capital are shown as gold spilling from a cornucopia, while the beautifully drawn engines and carriages at the top of each page represent the latest rolling stock for the years shown. Even the sky behind the trains has meaning: bright sunshine represents financial success, while dark clouds indicate a downturn in the company’s fortunes. All in all, some 18 separate statistics are tracked for each year.

Best of all, there’s a small map of the network shown for each year, so you can see the expansion of the railway as time goes by. In later years, a thin red line for the burgeoning telegraph system can be seen parallel to the blue rail lines, showing how these two networks developed side-by-side in an almost symbiotic relationship. Notes at the bottom of the page outline each addition to the network as well as other historical events.

All in all, this is an astounding piece of early data visualization: beautifully presented, if almost a little overwhelming in the sheer amount of data that it includes. There’s a full page of accompanying notes in German, French and English to help readers interpret what they’re seeing. It’s definitely worth clicking on the source link below to see the whole thing in glorious high-resolution (you can even read the name plates on the locomotives!). Five stars!

Source: David Rumsey Map Collection

Submission – Official Map: Bus Network of Bad Zurzach, Switzerland

May 29, 2019
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Submitted by Diego, who says:

What do you think of this bus map from Bad Zurzach, Switzerland? In my opinion, Swiss transit maps are generally very readable and well designed, but this one just looks impractical. I find it to be very difficult to follow the routes of the lines (line 2 in particular, which also stops at Thermalbad three times). It also lacks a title and a legend. Still, I have to hand it to the designer for actually getting it crammed into so little space.

Transit Maps says:

First off, it’s important to note that the town of Bad Zurzach is pretty tiny, with the eponymous thermal baths being less than a 500 metre walk from the railway station. The buses used are similarly small, and are charmingly known as the Zurzibus. Route 1 simply shuttles people between the station and the baths on an hourly basis (so if you miss it, you may as well walk!), Route 2 (which actually only calls at Thermalbad twice) also runs once an hour, while Lines 3 and 4 operate on a dire two-hour headway. So, the buses provide a service for those who might need it – tourists, people with mobility problems, etc. – but it’s certainly not what you’d call essential.

The map itself is almost adorably cute in its execution – the town reduced down to absolute minimalism – but I’d agree that it isn’t exactly easy to read. Fortunately, the brochure it appears in also contains individual line diagrams for each route, which are considerably easier to understand when the four routes have been disentangled. The individual maps also include legends, which explain that the dashed lines for Route 4 indicate seasonal service, not infrequent service. In summer, it goes to Regibad, an outdoor pool; while in winter, it goes to the cemetery instead. That’s a heck of a metaphor…

The final word: An almost absurdly simplified overview of a very small bus network, fortunately supported by better line diagrams. Two-and-a-half stars.

Source: Bad Zurzach Tourism website

Unofficial Map: Berlin Rail Network by Niklas Lobmayr

May 27, 2019
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Submitted by Niklas, who says:

Hi! I’m a student currently living in Berlin. I’ve always been fascinated by maps and recently I started to design one of my own. I hope you would review it on the blog, and give me some pointers as to where it can improve.

I wanted to redesign Berlin’s Transit Map in a different style (or rather my own). The map shows all U-Bahn (Metro), S-Bahn (Urban Rail) and Regional Train lines in and around Berlin. The lines are simplified as much as possible, creating flowing lines throughout. S-Bahn routes are bundled together in order to reduce the number of lines going through the city center. The U-Bahn is emphasised by a thicker stroke. I’ve also shown some of the construction going on around Berlin Hauptbahnhof and the (eternally unfinished) new airport Berlin-Brandenburg. The S-Bahn Ring (Fare Zone A), the City Border (Zone B) as well as the edge of Zone C are all centered inside each other. I haven’t yet figured out how to show the numerous Regional Train routes clearly on the map, so they are listed in the key on the right hand side along with some basic information on service frequencies. So – what do you think?

Transit Maps says:

It seems like everyone is doing dark background transit maps these days! While this can make for a stylish map, it’s not without its pitfalls – the foremost of which is reduced contrast with a lot of route line colours. Here, Niklas’ purple U6 and dark blue U8 lines are too dark to stand out from the background effectively, and some of the other colours are rather dark as well. The thinner S-Bahn lines have to work pretty hard to be seen, as do the dark grey “Under Construction” routes.

The arrangement of the lines is quite pleasant, with a spacious, stylish feeling to the map. The zones are handled well graphically, although they could benefit from being labelled as such on the map itself. Referring to the legend for that information isn’t ideal.

The station blobs are different in a good way, sitting underneath the route lines and being separated from them by a black keyline. Interchange stations are indicated by a white disc, which do stand out nicely from the dark background (maximum contrast!).

However, there is a fatal flaw in the map in that the labelling is absolutely tiny. The PDF Niklas supplied to me is roughly 36″ wide by 24″ tall, which is makes for a decent sized poster. However, his station labels are set in 6-point Helvetica Neue, which is way too small even in the best of circumstances. Reversed out of black like this is even more problematic, as the type would almost certainly fill in when printed and basically be illegible. I’ve always worked with a minimum of 8-point text when reversing out of a dark background, and even then it needs to be a fairly robust sans serif typeface, perhaps tracked out a little more than usual. Definitely nothing at the “Light” weight of a typeface.

The final word: A stylish-looking map, with a neat arrangement of the many lines and a comprehensive legend, but with labels that are way too small to be legible. 6-point is smaller than the disclaimer text at the bottom of used car ads! By comparison, labels on my Boston Rapid Transit map are 18-point at the same 36″ x 24″ print size: three times as large. Attention also needs to be paid to colours used against the black background – some of the darker ones definitely need to be lightened up.

Historical Map: Tourist Map of Adelaide, South Australia, 1917

May 24, 2019
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A lovely little map of central Adelaide from a 1917 pamphlet issued by the South Australian “Intelligence and Tourist Bureau”, clearly showing the lines of the then-extensive electric tram network. Full conversion from horse trams to electric had only been completed a few years prior in 1914.

Oddly enough, the only remaining tram route in Adelaide – the line out to Glenelg – is shown here as a steam railway starting at the corner of South Terrace and Peacock Road: it was only converted to an electric tramway in 1929.

Source: r/SAmaps – Reddit

Submission – Fantasy Map: International Development Agency Map of our Support and Field Offices

May 22, 2019
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Submitted by Mark Field, who says:

Like everyone on this site, I too have always been fascinated by transit maps, and have always wanted to make one but never had a reason. Recently I had opportunity to create one that actually serves a purpose. I work for an international relief and development agency, and our Canadian headquarters recently moved to a new office that had among other things, a bank of offices with glass frontage measuring 8′ x 55′.

At minimum, code required a simple glass manifestation strip, which was fine for some of the office occupants who wanted to be able to see their staff in the common area beyond, while others wanted more privacy. Given the odd shape of this canvas, the mix of coverage requested, and the requirements of manifestation, I was considering making a timeline of significant events in our 75 year history. It was when I applied date markers to a single line that I realized that this wall begged for a transit map.

It was cost prohibitive to create a pre-printed 8′ x 55′ “screen” so instead, I opted for cut vinyl lettering and elements that were put together like a puzzle. Because the wall was made of multiple-width glass panels with silicon seems and gaps around doors, I had to be careful not to have the station titles (which are the cities where we either operate in or have head offices in) cut across panels. I also opted to have any of the lines that cut across panels do so on a horizontal plane. There was also the issue of the required glass manifestation strip that had to be located in a specific height range from the floor.

Finally, our corporate world is divided into various autonomous offices and lines of authority and reporting which I portrayed on the map via the various coloured lines. I also made our office in Guelph, Ontario the “main” office/terminus of the map, so we have direct lines to the other offices. Hard to follow but in our “world” it makes total sense.

We (MAF Canada) are responsible for operations out of two cities (stops) in Angola (represented by the green line) as well as an operation in Canada (the grey line). MAF US is responsible for a number of countries (city/stops) in parts of the world (represented by the purple line), as well as affiliate countries in South America (the blue line). The rest of our world operates out of an international office in the UK (brown lines), and finally, countries that are resourcing countries (those that help raise funds) are represented by the red line. Given the panel width restrictions (not to mention door handle locations that had to be avoided) I did my best to put all of the locations in order relative to lines of latitude and longitude.

Transit Maps says:

I think Mark has said much of what is needed to be said in his introduction to this piece, so suffice it to say that I think that this is rather wonderful. A clever use of an awkward space that fulfills multiple purposes — safety, information and decoration — and looks good while doing it. Mark’s also done a pretty decent job of coming up with his own design language for his map, though it looks like the typeface used is New Johnston or something very similar — the Tube Map’s influence is hard to shake sometimes! Finally, an advantage of the vinyl cut solution is that things can be adjusted relatively easily: I notice that the map’s legend has moved from the bottom of the screen to the top in the final product!

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Fantasy Map: Portland MAX in the Style of the Vignelli New York Subway Map

May 17, 2019
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I missed this when it was released yesterday, but those TriMet designers (who really do seem to have too much time on their hands!) have released another mash-up map, this time riffing off the (in)famous 1970s New York Subway diagram by Massimo Vignelli.

It’s probably the best one so far, mimicking the style almost perfectly. If you’re going to do a homage, you may as well go all in, and that’s exactly what’s been done here!

There’s some great little touches like the reworked TriMet logo and the way that all the services get three-letter codes (the familiar MAX and WES, but also PAT for Portland Aerial Tram, and PSC for Portland Street Car) to emulate the three-letter services of the New York Subway – IRT, IND and BMT. There’s even a subtle “folded paper map” texture, which is just lovely.

There’s a PDF download of the map available here.

The final word: Almost perfect! Some of the added geography is a little too fussy to be truly Vignelli-esque (Oswego Lake is okay, but Johnson Creek is a bit much), but that’s a truly minor nitpick. 4.5 stars.

Source: TriMet/Twitter

Historical Map: Bay Area Regional Transit Connections, 1981

May 13, 2019
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Submitted by Calley, who says:

This was found via the /r/BayArea subreddit. It appears to be an authentic transit map from September 1981 still hanging in the 12th Street Oakland City Center BART station! It’s published by an entity I’ve never heard of called the “Regional Transit Association.” On your blog I’ve previously seen a very clumsy and messy map that attempted to show the myriad transit systems of the Bay, including rail and connecting buses. This is a cleaner, very diagrammatical map that limits itself to rail and some of the major buses that are either very frequent or provide a key connection to areas not served by BART. The wide lines remind me of the Washington Metrorail map as well. The Bay Area would be served well by a modernized version of the map as there is none today that cleanly shows a comprehensive transit network. Would love to get your thoughts.

Transit Maps says:

This “fat line” style of transit diagram was very much in vogue in the late 1970s/early 1980s, so it’s really no surprise to find some similarities between this map and the (slightly earlier) Washington Metro map. For me at least, there’s also a little bit of the original Boston MBTA spider map here, especially in the way that the branches of the Muni streetcar lines are treated – looking a lot like the simplified branches of the Green Line in Boston.

Handel Gothic, the typeface used for the map’s title (and groovy logo) is a little at odds with the more restrained “minimalist” Helvetica employed elsewhere, but it was a popular display typeface at the time, often used to invoke a “futuristic” feeling. Note especially the ligature made out of the “NN” in “CONNECTIONS” – now there’s some great early 80s typography!

The map itself is an interesting historical record, showing BART’s extent in 1981 (only built to Daly City down the peninsula, for example) and the “Caltrans Peninsula Train”, which is Caltrain in everything but name. Many of these regional connections are very similar to what still exists today, which is interesting to see.

Designwise, it’s a bit uneven – it has some nicely simplified route lines and clear labelling, but the coastline of the Bay is way too fussy and detailed, especially the north-eastern part. The way the green Santa Clara County Transit line gets pushed out of alignment by the SamTrans line at Menlo Park is pretty sloppy. The inset for downtown San Francisco doesn’t really do that good of a job at clarifying things: one feels that all the empty space in the Pacific Ocean could have been better used to enlarge the inset and make it more useful.

The last word: A great historical document, although the design work is a little less polished than it could have been. It definitely seems to be emulating other transit maps of the period, though with perhaps slightly less effect. Still a pretty solid three stars.