All posts tagged: USA

Submission – New Official Map: TriMet System Map, Portland, Oregon, 2017

September 13, 2017
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Sent my way by Jonathan, a designer at TriMet, who has this to say: We just launched a couple new and improved maps: TriMet System and City Center. This was a long overdue update that brings those maps in line with the Rail System map that we’ve had for a few years. A few highlights: Bus lines, rail lines and streets have standardized angles, but still adhere (mostly) to geography Colors and symbols are standardized […]

Historical Map: Test MBTA Rapid Transit Map, 1991

August 24, 2017
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An unused test diagram for Boston’s rapid transit network from 1991. It attempts to name every station on the branches of the Green Line, but with the unfortunate side effect of completely dominating the design. The poor old Blue Line gets shoved into the top right, and the northern part of the Orange Line doesn’t fare much better. In short, the whole thing is hideously unbalanced, and I’m very glad that this concept didn’t advance […]

Historical Map: A Progress Report on the Interstate Highway System, 1961

July 27, 2017
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A great old map on a subject matter very dear to my heart – the Interstate Highway System. Produced in 1961 by the Caterpillar Tractor Company, who stood to gain a great deal in the construction work required to complete the network, it shows the proposed completed network in white, sections under construction with blue dashes, and – somewhat counter-intuitively – sections that are open to traffic in red. It’s immediately apparent how little of […]

Historical Map: Nuclear Weapons Complex Transportation Routes, 1988

July 27, 2017
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Here’s an unusual use of transit map design principles – a map produced by the Radioactive Waste Campaign in 1988 of the routes used to transport nuclear materials and waste around the United States. This diagrammatic approach actually works very well here – as the legend to the map says: The origin and destination of these routes are well known. However, because of government secrecy, the exact path of these routes is conjectured. Without the […]

Fantasy Map: Major Rivers of the United States by Theodore Rindos

July 24, 2017
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The early history of the United States is filled with explorers and pioneers making use of rivers as “rapid transit” to quickly travel through otherwise inhospitable or unknown lands. So it makes sense that someone would attempt to show this network in the simplified form of a subway map, and here is one such example by Theo Rindos. Of course, such a map instantly puts me in mind of Daniel Huffman’s superb series of river/subway maps, […]

Submission – New Houston METRORail Strip Map, 2017

June 16, 2017
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Photo submitted by Gram Brinson, who says: They’ve somewhat improved it, I suppose… Transit Maps says: Yes, this is certainly an improvement over the previous version of this strip map (October 2016, 1.5 stars). In fact, it’s an almost point-for-point response to my criticisms from that review: removal of the large shaded areas denoting not-so-new lines, 45-degree angled labels instead of the neck-cracking 90-degree angles, and a very welcome reworking of the central stations inset […]

Unofficial Map – New York City Subway Track Map by Andrew Lynch

May 11, 2017
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I’m kind of surprised that this hasn’t been done before – there are plenty of similar track maps out there for other major transit cities like London and Paris – but this is very nicely executed indeed.  The map looks great, is easily understood even without consulting the legend, and has copious footnotes for those who want to really dive deep into the inner workings of the subway. Extra kudos for cleverly fitting the label “MANHATTAN” […]

Submission – Official Map: New York City Ferry Services Map, 2017

May 1, 2017
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Submitted by David, who says: NYC is relaunching its ferry service today, and they’ve produced a subway-style map to illustrate the service. The typeface and station symbols seem a bit more London than NYC to me, but otherwise seems like a decent map. What do you think? Transit Maps says: Apparently, the first morning of this “new and improved” ferry service didn’t go that well today, as the Mayor’s photo opportunity caused major service delays […]

A Look at Amtrak Under the Proposed Federal Budget

April 15, 2017
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A federal budget outline from the Trump Administration looks to slash funding for rail transportation, including a complete elimination of federal funds for long-distance Amtrak routes like the Empire Builder, Southwest Chief and California Zephyr.  The map above, adapted from my Amtrak as Subway Map project, shows what the “national” passenger rail network could look like under this proposal: isolated, separate rail services, with no cross-country connections and over 220 stations without Amtrak rail service. Chicago, […]

Historical Cutaway View: Proposed State Street Subway, Chicago, c.1940

April 13, 2017
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Here’s a fantastic (if slightly idealised) view of the then still-under-construction State Street Subway from a c.1940 postcard. This view looks northward along State Street from Adams, and shows the Monroe-Adams mezzanine. Note the direct access from the mezzanine level to the basement level of businesses on either side of State Street – now long since closed. Text on the reverse side of the postcard reads: Cut-away view of Chicago’s subway in the Central Business District. […]