Submission – Fantasy Map: Gotham Transit Authority Map from Upcoming “Joker” Movie

September 29, 2018
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Submitted by Jason, who says:

Gotham City Subway Map on the set of the new Joker movie filming at Bedford Park Blvd station. What are your thoughts on this?

Transit Maps says:

There’s plenty of other posts out there on the internet that talk about the innumerable easter eggs in this map – Kane County, Starlin Avenue, etc. – so I’m just going to talk about the map itself here.

Previously, The Dark Knight Rises riffed off the current New York Subway map, so it’s fun to see this movie use a Vignelli-inspired map instead, even if it’s not a perfect stylistic homage. I mean, randomly angled labels on a Vignelli diagram? It just wouldn’t happen. The network itself also doesn’t make a whole lot of sense: what happens to the “H” from Burnside when it joins onto the “K” near Fort Hamilton? Where does the “8″ end and the “9″ begin? Most of the routes seem to be unnecessarily circuitous – this network really needs a couple of good, straight trunk lines instead of all this weaving around.

The “How to Use This Map” text at the top left of the map has been cribbed directly off the Vignelli diagram, although with poor spelling and punctuation. The Gotham Heights neighbourhood label covers up a couple of station names, which is pretty unforgivable. The GTA logo is pretty neat, if a bit large on the map.

Very notable is that the general geography of Gotham City – the shape and position of the islands – remains faithful to what’s been established in the comics and The Dark Knight Rises, even if locality names and the entire transit network itself are completely different.

Historical Maps: Das F-Netz in Der Brieftasche, 1969

September 25, 2018
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A pair of wonderful diagrammatic pocket maps showing the F-Zug or “Long-Distance Train” intercity services (in blue) and the Trans-Europe Express (TEE) services (in red) of West Germany in the summer of 1969. The first diagram shows southbound routes, while the second shows northbound. Each diagram also serves as a schedule, with arrival and departure times denoted clearly along each route line. A few non-standard angles don’t detract from the excellent draftsmanship on display here: I particularly like the sweeping 90-degree curve between Cologne and Duisburg, with no fewer than 13 routes shown.

Of particular note is the prominence of the area around Cologne and the Ruhr – enlarged many times over for clarity – which dominates the map in terms of both stations and routes. 

The evocative route names in the list to the right are also rather wonderful – Rheingold, Rembrandt, Porta Westfalica among them – and so much more interesting than the bland numerical designation so many European trains receive today.

Our rating: Making a complex network look simple. the current DB Intercity map (PDF link) could look to this as inspiration on how to do it right. Five glorious stars.

Submission – Historical Map: Bus Network of Perm, Russia, 1967

September 19, 2018
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There’s a child-like quality to this clearly hand-drawn and lettered map (see the crude trees in the parks), but it kind of makes me love it more.

Submission – Unofficial Map: Trolleybus Routes of Kemerovo, Russia By Kirill Zharkoy

September 17, 2018
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Submitted by Kirill, who says:

A few months ago I made a trolleybus routes map for my hometown Kemerovo. Map is considered to become an official map of Kemerovo trolleybus system soon.

Full project on Behance:

Transit Maps says:

This is a very competent map that Kirill has designed, although I do feel that I’ve seen some of the elements used to create it before in this 2015 map of the tram network of Chelyabinsk by Ilya Birman and Alexander Karavaev. The flared station ticks, enlarged route designation numbers arranged across the route lines, shadows where lines pass under another one and even the reduction of the city’s coat of arms to a black and white version are all very reminiscent of that work for me.

Leaving that aside, I do wonder why the map doesn’t incorporate Kemerovo’s five-line tram network alongside the trolleybuses. It always seems odd to me when complementary transit services are presented on separate maps with no indication that any other mode exists, or “mode vacuum” as I like to call it.

Other thoughts: I like the stylistic treatment of the water on the Tom River, though it looks a little unfinished on the other tributary rivers. The icons for major city buildings are nicely executed, though I do prefer it when all the buildings are drawn from the same perspective, as this gives greater unity to the map. Here, three are drawn from street level but the fourth is drawn from an aerial perspective. Though the map is largely self-explanatory, a legend would still be nice. A bilingual Russian/English version might be nice to see – always a fun design challenge to make that work.

Reader Question: Have You Heard of LineMap Draw?

September 17, 2018
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From an anonymous reader: Someone recently showed me an article in the magazine Railway Age that reviewed the software application LineMap Draw. Have you heard of it? Any thoughts about it? It says it would save time creating maps. It’s only available for PCs, so as a Mac-user, I’m not able try out the free demo. I am also skeptical about using it over a tried-and-true vector program like Illustrator. More info can be found here.

Transit Maps says:

I hadn’t heard of this software at all before this message, so I headed over to the website to check it out. Realistically, I can’t see this as a replacement for Adobe Illustrator for any professional map makers, or for amateurs who want to learn how to make industry-standard maps. It’s just too simplistic and limited in its functions to be able to create complex, aesthetically pleasing maps, as the screenshot above demonstrates. That’s a pretty rough transit map by anyone’s definition.

It might have been useful as a tool for hobbyists who wanted to develop a quick map – maybe of a fantasy network – without the learning curve and expense of Illustrator, but the “Home” version is absolutely crippled with a maximum canvas size of 1200px by 1200px, which is just 4 inches square at 300dpi output. If you wanted to print something at a halfway decent size of A3, for example, you’d have to shell out for the “Large” version, which is €149 ($US170), not an insignificant sum. To me, the whole licensing system of the software makes little sense – five different versions, each with an upper limit on the size of the output (Home, Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large). It all sounds rather frustrating and confusing – not to mention the fact that the software outputs as JPG only, which is pretty much a deal-breaker on its own.

So, no, I can’t recommend this software at all. If you’re serious about making transit maps, then vector-based illustration software is the only way to go. Illustrator is the industry standard, but great maps can be made with Inkscape, Affinity Designer and more. 

Historical Map: Montreal Street Railway System, 1893

September 7, 2018
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A map showing the extent of the streetcar network in Montreal in 1893. Most of the lines at this time were horse-drawn, though electrification of the system had already begun. “The Rocket”, Montreal’s first electric streetcar, made its maiden journey in September 1892, and all lines were electrified by 1894.

Source: Archives de Montreal

Historical Map: Map of Interurban Lines and Trolley Observation Trip, Portland Electric Power Company, c. 1923

September 6, 2018
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Here’s a handsome map of electric rail transportation in and around Portland, Oregon that – somewhat curiously – I hadn’t come across before. For the most part, it correlates with my own research into the network in the 1920s, though there are two little stub lines shown that I haven’t previously seen on any other map. The first of these is a branch on the Oregon City interurban from the Gladstone stop eastwards a short distance to “Gladstone Park”, while the second branches off from Fairview on the Troutdale Division to an unnamed station next to what looks like today’s Sandy Boulevard.

Strangely, the yellow “Observation Route” seems to be made up of multiple different streetcar routes within Portland, rather than being one cohesive service. The foremost of these was the Council Crest (CC) line, which ran to an amusement park located at the highest point within the city in the southwest hills.

Also of note is the prominent display (due to the map’s unusual perspective) of the Willamette Valley Southern’s interurban line from Oregon City to Mount Angel, which is the line “controlled” (but not owned) by the electric company denoted in the text to the top right. There are lots of other interesting facts in the text, including the gross earnings of the company in 1923 – $10,825,380. The new hydroelectric power plant mentioned is the Oak Grove hydro dam on the Clackamas River, still owned by PGE to this day and still generating electricity.

In short, a superbly drawn and fascinating map from near the end of Portland’s streetcar heyday, full of historical interest.

Source: raremaps.com

Historical Map: Pacific Electric Railway System in Southern California, c. 1926 by Jake Berman

September 5, 2018
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I’m really enjoying this modern take on a map of the Pacific Electric’s sprawling electric streetcar network by Jake Berman. Obviously based on the period map shown (or an extremely similar one!), it retains a lot of the visual energy of the original – mainly because of the multiple angles used for both the route lines and labels. Normally, this might be something I’d find fault with, but I think it’s totally appropriate here when you consider the source material. 

However, Jake’s method of showing the number of in-service tracks along each section is easier to understand… varying line thickness certainly works better than the detailed ticked and pecked lines of the old map. Showing the three main railroad divisions is a nice bit of extra information as well – an advantage of a full-colour map. Lots to look at and enjoy here!

Jake sells prints of this map here. 

Submission – Unofficial Future Map: Melbourne’s Suburban Rail Loop (Straightened) by Philip Mallis

August 31, 2018
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Submitted by Philip, who says:

I put together a map showing a redesign of Melbourne’s rail network with the newly-announced Suburban Rail Loop (SRL). Given that this is the first radial railway proposed for Melbourne for many decades, I have built the rest of the map around a central straight line of the new Loop.

More explanation and links to the map on Philip’s website.

Transit Maps says:

The recent announcement of this new underground railway connecting the outer suburbs of Melbourne certainly has people talking. This is not the first map I’ve received on the subject, and I doubt it’ll be the last.

I find this one particularly interesting because of the way that Philip has chosen to straighten out the new line – which isn’t really a “loop” as it doesn’t form a complete circuit around the city – and then diagrammatically connect the rest of the lines to it. For the most part, it holds up pretty well as a representation of the network as the SRL still runs from west to east across the map, just without the bends. Obviously, some liberties have had to be taken (the placement of the Flemington Racecourse branch being the most obvious example), but the regular grid holds the whole thing together nicely.

Philip has chosen to render the rest of the network in a uniform blue for simplicity’s sake, but I’d certainly be interested in seeing a version that uses the official colours for all the lines, as I feel it would help users orient themselves better within this unusual layout. Perhaps the line colours could stack on top of each other where they overlap, multiplying up to black through the City Loop?

Some minor thoughts: the planned station complexes at Melbourne Central/State Library and Flinders Street/Town Hall could be joined by connecting lines to indicate pedestrian transfer. In the same vein, Melbourne Central itself should be shifted off the intersection of the City Loop and the Metro Tunnel and changed to a tick, as it’s my understanding that it will not directly serve the Metro Tunnel (passengers will transfer by walking to State Library). Lines that cross but don’t interact with each other could be separated by a thin white keyline – the new line from North Melbourne to Parkville could pass “under” the line south of West Melbourne, for example.

Overall though, this is an unusual and imaginative look at a major new transportation project, nicely executed. It’s always fun to look at things with a fresh perspective, and I think the map certainly succeeds in that regard.

Source: maps.philipmallis.com

Submission – Official Map: Tram and Ferry Map of Gothenburg, Sweden

August 14, 2018
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Submitted by Hugo Simonsson, who says:

The map of the Gothenburg tram (and ferry) network. I think it’s quite nice, but there’s some flaws with the huge bit of space in the top left and the complicated ferry network in the bottom left without clear routes. The choice of colours is nice and mostly clear.

Transit Maps says:

There’s actually is a reason for the odd combination of wasted space and cramped parts in this map – it’s one of a pair of maps that show the tram lines. The one Hugo mentions (first image) combines trams with ferries, while the second image combines them with the major “trunk” bus lines. In both maps, the depiction of the tram lines and the large yellow interchange circles remain almost exactly the same, and the other services are fitted in around them.

The one major difference is that on the ferry map, tram line 11 is shortened in order to squeeze the ferry routes into the bottom left of the map, and there’s a lot more water shown (for obvious reasons). Apart from that, there’s only a few minor tweaks to the tram lines in each map to accommodate the other lines. As a designer, I definitely understand this approach – using one layout for the trams shared between the two maps saves a lot of work. Overall, it works out quite well, although both maps do end up looking just a bit unbalanced because of it.

A few other notes: I don’t like the dashed lines for the bus routes – it makes the map very busy and messy (as well as under construction). Simple thinner cyan lines would have worked better. The light salmon colour for Line 13 isn’t great. Some of the curves are drawn a bit wonkily – especially the acute angle on the red Line 5 to the bottom right.

Our rating: Both are solid maps, if a little unbalanced. Nice to see maps developed as part of a unified suite. Three stars.

Source: vasttrafik.se