Submission: Unofficial Map – Routes of the Great Western Railway by Xsanda

June 17, 2016
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Submitted by the map’s creator, who says:

This is a route map of the GWR network. It’s my first time creating a transit map with Illustrator, so I’m open to any feedback!

Transit Maps says:

This is a pretty good first effort! In a way, this is a throwback to old railway maps, in that it shows where the trains travel, but not how they do so – individual routes aren’t indicated, so it’s impossible to tell from this map alone whether you can travel directly from one location to another. Still, that’s what the Internet is for, right?

I will say that the map gets noticeably more crowded the further west it goes, almost like Xsanda realised he was running out of space and had to cram things in. Notice how most station names are set horizontally near London, but have to be set at a 45-degree angle down in Devon and Cornwall. 

Some of the route lines could be simplified as well: the branch from Exeter to Barnstaple could be a straight line heading northwest, while the reversals of the line at Coombe Junction Halt and Bere Alston – while technically accurate – are unnecessary detail in a diagrammatic map like this. With a little work, the line between Newbury and Castle Cary could become a straight line as well.

I also think the enormous labels for major stations are overkill: I’d set them just slightly larger, or even just in a bolder version of the font to draw just enough attention to them. I think that this would help with the balance of the map as well.

In short: simplify, simplify some more and aim for a more even spacing of stations throughout the entire diagram. It’s tedious tweaking at this stage, but it’ll be worth it, I think.

Historical Map: Washington, DC Streetcar Trackage as of August 1958

June 16, 2016
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A handsome hand-drawn map of the entire D.C. Transit streetcar network from August 1958, less than four years before the system closed entirely. The map was drawn by Charles Wagner, who was an active member of the Washington, DC chapter of the Electric Railway Historical Society in the 1950s, an august body that still exists to this day.

Source: Discover DC History archive (link no longer active)

Video: New “Johnston100″ Typeface Family by Monotype

June 14, 2016
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For Johnston Sans’ 100th birthday, TfL has commissioned Monotype to redraw the typeface, bringing the design back closer to its original roots in many respects. Going forward, it will be this cut that will be used on all new TfL signage, maps and collateral.

The redraw also introduces two new weights – Thin and Hairline – that I remain unconvinced by. I suspect they’ve been added for online usage and advertising purposes, but they just don’t look very “Johnston-y” to me, just becoming yet another ultralight sans serif. The remaining idiosyncrasy of the diamond-shaped tittles (the technical term for the dots over the “i” and “j”) looks very heavy and unbalanced in these lighter weights.

Still, this introductory video is quite interesting as the designers explain their inspiration and thought processes behind this newest version of this venerable typeface. Here’s to another 100 years!

Source: Vimeo

Submission – Unofficial icon-only version of the Mexico City Metro Map by Abbendymion

June 14, 2016
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Submitted by the creator, who says:

I want to share with you my version of ‘icon-only’ Mexico City subway map. Well, technically not a ‘transit map’ and more like a graphical arrangement of icons in topologic order, I was inspired by an earlier post showing Richard Archambault’s work and then looked up for the early Lance Wyman diagrams from the late 60’s that arranged the icons in the same way. After more lines were built, I think the arrangement was never reproduced again though.

I made an horizontal and a vertical version of it. (I like horizontal the most). Both can be found here.

Transit Maps says:

Having wondered what an icon-only Mexico City Metro map would look like when I reviewed Richard’s map back in December, it’s certainly interesting to see a take on that concept. 

This actually still holds together quite well as a (very diagrammatic and topological) map, because the colours of the lines guide your eye along each route quite effectively. Less dense lines have to have their stations spaced out somewhat, and the concept is less effective there. I certainly wouldn’t want to use this to navigate my way around the city, but – as a graphical treatment of the network – this is quite lovely.

Submission – Rail from Schönefeld Airport to Central Berlin by Robert Aehnelt

June 13, 2016
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Submitted by Robert, who says:

6 Month ago the german railway (DB), section Berlin, ask me to make a map. They saw my works on Wikipedia and gave me the job to create a transit map which help visitors to find the right way form Schönefeld airport to Berlin city. Schönefeld (SXF) is the old East-Berlin airport, which should be closed when the new airport (BER) opens. But since we have a couple of little “problems” to finish this airport, they have to operate the old airport and station longer than expected. Therefore the “Schönfeld Flughafen” station looks dark, dirty and lost in orientation. So this map should help to find a fast way to the right trains and includes red and green markings on the floor leading to the ticket machines and platforms.

Unfortunately they decided to cancel this project, because of the costs. This means I made a lot of work for nothing. So I decided to use it for Wikipedia. But before I do this, I though I can ask a expert for his opinion 😉

Transit Maps says:

It always sucks when cool jobs fall through, Robert – I definitely sympathise with you there! And I think you’ve done a pretty good job as well: this map would definitely be a big help for people unfamiliar with Berlin’s transport network in getting to and from Schönefeld. I remember having to work out how to get to Schönefeld by myself back in 2004, and it wasn’t fun. I think I ended up taking the S9, if my memory serves me correctly.

The map is nicely simplified and does a good job at clearly showing and explaining the options. I like that the traditional octagonal shape of the ring lines around Berlin have been retained from the official S-Bahn/U-Bahn map: this provides a great sense of familiarity. The reminder to validate your ticket before use is especially helpful (a surprising number of tourists are unfamiliar with this system), as is the notation of estimated time needed to reach major stations.

It’s unfortunate that the traditional colours for the S-Bahn and regional (DB) rail are green and red, as this makes the map much harder to use for some colour-blind users. Robert has mitigated this somewhat by including route numbers along each line, but perhaps some thought could be put into darkening one of the two colours to differentiate them a little better for such users.

I do like the icons for points of interest within Berlin, although I think the silhouette of the Gedächtniskirche is a little indistinct compared to the Brandenburg Gate and the Fernsehturm, both of which are instantly recognisable. Given the simplicity of the rest of the map, I’m also not entirely enamoured of the little shadows behind the icons: it works fairly well for the Fernsehturm, but confuses the shapes of the other two icons.

Similarly, the interchange design underneath the Information “i” symbol seems a bit out of tune with the simplicity of the rest of the map: it’s a bit strident and overwrought for my liking.

Finally, I’m not sure why Tegel (TXL) airport has been indicated on the map if the map doesn’t show any way to get there. There aren’t any rail connections to TXL, so its inclusion seems a little pointless to me other than to say “hey, there’s another airport over here!”

Our rating: A solid introduction to connections to and from the Schönefeld airport that clearly lays out the rail transit options available. A little more work and this could be really excellent. Three stars.

Photo: Gautrain Strip Map, Gauteng, South Africa, 2010

June 10, 2016
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This has to win some kind of award for “least efficient use of space in a strip map ever”. Let’s see, we’ve got an enormous title, a big picture of the train (that we’re currently on), a giant legend and contact details, and a weird swooshy design feature just to fill up some empty space. 

Oh yeah, and a tiny little map that’s  just been repurposed from the main system map without any thought as to how riders will actually be able to read it on a train. Even better, the smallest type is in yellow, just to make it even harder to read. This is not a complex network: the map could have easily been completely redrawn to suit the dimensions of the strip!

Our rating: Pure laziness. Zero stars and an entry to the Hall of Shame.

Source: Henti Smith/Flickr – link no longer active

Historical Map: Croydon Tramlink, 2000

June 10, 2016
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All the talk lately is of Tramlink’s inclusion on the London Rail Services Tube Map, but here’s a look at an early map from shortly after the system opened as the Croydon Tramlink in May 2000.

Interestingly, Johnston Sans is only used for the Tramlink logo and the prominent Travelcard Zone information: Gill Sans has been employed throughout the rest of the map. Of course, Tramlink wasn’t really part of the London Transport family at this time (full acquisition by TfL would happen in 2008), so this use of a different – but somewhat related – typeface is expected.

The map itself is a bit of a mess, mainly because of labels. Interchange stations are denoted by HUGE type, which leads to some cramped and inefficient placement of those labels to avoid cutting into route lines – West Croydon’s label is a long way from its symbol, while East Croydon’s label clashes badly with other labels nearby. Lengthy captions are required to describe the connecting rail services, all of which need to name the franchise in addition to the destinations. Station ticks are of differing lengths, being much longer on the southeastern-most part of the green Route 3, while the interchange “dumbbells” are indistinct and pretty unconvincing. All this combines to make a map with a very chaotic feeling to it, like elements have just been thrown on the page.

Our rating: Does the job, but no more. Cluttered and disorganised. Disappointingly average for a map that’s promoting a (then) brand-new state-of-the-art service. Two stars.

Source: By Air, Land and Sea/Flickr

Historical Maps: Moscow Metro Book, 1978

June 8, 2016
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An amazing book describing the lines and stations of the Moscow Metro in detail, complete with lovely red and white system maps as well as layout diagrams of all the stations. It certainly makes me wish I could read Russian! Simply beautiful.

Unofficial Map: Paris Métro Map by Constantine Konovalov

June 7, 2016
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I first came across this project last November, and wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. An obvious work-in-progress with a lot of half-finished ideas and only part of the map visible in the preview image made things very hard to judge properly. 

Fast forward six months and the finished product has been unveiled at last. It’s definitely been worth the wait, as I think this is a very polished, well-considered map. The central conceit – that Métro lines 2 and 6 should form a perfect circle around Paris – is not a new one, but this is a particularly well implemented interpretation of that idea. 

The use of 30-degree angles instead of the standard 45 allows more versatility, but care has also been taken to minimise the number of directional changes along routes. Indeed, Constantine reckons that there are half as many “bends on the line” on this map as there are on the official RATP Métro map. It is this straightening out of routes that helps prevent the central part of the map – that contained within the idealised circle – from looking like so much spaghetti in a bowl. A lot of work has gone into creating harmony and space between all the many and varied route lines, and I find the overall effect very pleasing. The path of the Seine orients the reader nicely, as does the inclusion of the Canal St. Martin and some delightful line icons of major landmarks throughout the city.

Mode differentiation is good, with Métro, RER, Transilien and tram services all looking quite obviously different to each other. Interchange station symbols have been greatly simplified from the earlier draft, which helps them stand out much better now. Destinations reachable via a short walk are indicated with dotted lines: a very welcome touch! Finally, future expansions are also included as dotted route outlines, showing just how much thought has gone into this map… I do love a map that’s future-proofed!

If I have one tiny complaint, it’s the way that the outer edges have been compressed and distorted to allow the inner part of the map to work properly. In real life, if you stand on the Arc de Triomphe, the Place de la Concorde is in one direction, and the Grande Arche at La Défense is in the exact opposite direction. It’s one of Paris’ grand axes and almost as much a landmark in its own right as the buildings along it. The official map honours this axis, but Constantine’s map has to bend the path quite substantially to keep the even spacing of stations around the perfect 2/6 ring. It’s not a deal-breaker by any stretch, and I think that the change of background colour at the urban boundary almost acts as a signifier that the map is switching from simplified geography to pure diagram at that point.

I also think that the map could have relied a little less on the established look of the official map (despite the presence of their logo, this project is not endorsed or supported by the RATP). While the similar look creates an instant sense of familiarity, I do think that Constantine could have pushed the envelope a bit and created something with its own unique look and feel.

Our rating: The lure of making a perfect circle out of Métro lines 2 and 6 is almost too great to ignore, but there have been many failed and downright ugly attempts at it over the years. This is easily the best effort I’ve seen, if perhaps a little overly reliant on the design themes of the official map. Four stars!

Source: Metromap.fr – take a look at the incredible process video at the bottom of the page: you can almost see Constantine’s thought processes and ideas evolve along with the map. Well worth watching!

Official Map: A Line Opening Poster, Minneapolis by Kevin Cannon

June 2, 2016
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Via: kevincannonart:

Metro Transit asked me to create a map celebrating the new A Line. Posters will be available during the grand opening festivities on June 11.

Here’s a great poster by artist Kevin Cannon for the opening of Minneapolis’ curious new “BRT-lite” A Line bus service. While it will have 10 minute headways, branded buses (with WiFi, because god forbid we live two seconds of our life without fast Internet), and stops with nice station-like shelters and ticket machines for faster boarding, the buses will just run along the road in standard lanes shared with all other traffic. This means that most of the “rapidity” promised comes from faster dual-door boarding at stops (which are spaced further apart than standard bus stops), rather than any actual speed increases along the route (if there’s traffic, the bus is still stuck in it).

Still, the poster is quite lovely, full of landmarks, transit connections and happy people. And I do love the note that the obviously illustrated map is not to scale. Cheeky!