Back in January, I posted a review of the current Boston MBTA transit map on the blog – and I had some harsh words for it (I believe the phrase “hot mess” occurs in the text). Always one to back my words up with actions, I’ve been quietly working on my own revised version that I feel improves the map in quite a few areas. I’ve also created a few different versions to illustrate some […]
By the time you read this, I’ll be lazing around on a beach in Hawaii on a well-earned break – but thanks to the wonders of scheduled posts, I can still share this new teaser image of my ongoing Boston MBTA map redesign with you. This one shows the central part of Boston with my conceptual grid overlaid on top, so you can see how important elements relate to each other. Every design decision made […]
What’s that, Green Line? Yes, I do think you look wonderful when all your stations are shown! A work in progress screen shot of my Boston MBTA “T” map redesign. And this isn’t even the coolest part. Stay tuned!
Uncovered at Orient Heights station, photo from 2009. Note “Washington” station instead of Downtown Crossing, the entirely different alignment of the Orange Line to Forest Hills, no Red Line extension to Quincy and Braintree (and it ends at Harvard in the other direction). The “A” Green Line to Watertown is still in service, and the “E” goes all the way to Arborway. Love the elegant simplicity to this, and the lovely crimson red used for […]
I haven’t really looked at the Boston MBTA map since I was there for a few days in the middle of 2008, but I certainly don’t remember it looking as bad as this. I’ve always been mildly annoyed by the fact that not all the stations on the surface street sections of the Green Line are labelled, but my overall impression back then was of a solid, well-designed map. Just a few short years later, […]
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 […]
This is possibly the best transit diagram I have seen submitted to Wikipedia. Lovely, minimalistic design with bright, eye-catching colours and good typography. No geography at all, which is actually appropriate for a heavy rail system like this – used most by commuters who travel the length of their line from their home station (on a spoke) to the city (hub). Have We Been There? I’ve been to Boston, but haven’t travelled on the commuter […]
