All posts tagged: USA

Historical Map: BART “Going Places” Advertising Supplement Poster, 1982

March 26, 2021
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Advertising, Historical Maps, Illustrations
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Here’s a fantastic poster designed as the centre spread of an advertising supplement to various Bay Area newspapers to celebrate the first ten years of BART (1972–1982). The immediately recognisable system diagram is overlaid on top of some charming line illustrations of landmarks and attractions, with the routes of BART Express buses also indicated. It’s all very simple – the illustration looks like it’s been done with some coloured fine felt-tip pens – but it’s […]

Project: A Map of Electric Rail Service in Spokane, Washington in 1912

March 17, 2021
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Historical Maps, My Transit Maps
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Old streetcar maps often do a very poor job of actually showing how the routes ran – often just drawing an otherwise unmarked red line down the middle of roads on a standard cartographic map without any explanation of stops, loops or route names (see left for an example). Finding accurate information about the actual routing of individual lines can be a long and thankless process, so when long-time Transit Maps correspondent Karl Otterstrom tweeted […]

Submission – A History of San Francisco Area Street Rail Transit by Travis Emick

February 19, 2021
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Submitted by Travis, who says: I made an animated visualization of the light rail infrastructure of San Francisco from 1850–to–nowish. I was wondering if you would be interested in posting! Transit Maps says: I sure would be, Travis! This is a great 15-minute video that succinctly outlines the rise and fall of rail-based street transit in San Francisco, Oakland and even Marin County. The sheer number of competing companies in the early years is quite […]

Submission – Twin Cities Travel Time Cartogram by Avian Ciganko-Ford

February 17, 2021
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Submitted by Avian, who says: Hello Cameron! Last week my WiFi was out so I was disrupted from my usual cartographic routine and decided try something outside the box. What I ended up coming up with was this cartogram showing travel time between light rail stations in the Twin Cities. I always find it to be a creature comfort when transit maps tell me travel time between stations, and it can really highlight some advantages […]

Official Map: Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) System Map, 2021

February 16, 2021
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If the previous RideKC map is an example of a system diagram that doesn’t quite reach its full potential, then this is an example of one that surely does. Really, every system map should strive to be this excellent: a simplified bespoke base map allows just the right amount of geographical information to be shown. The intelligent rotation of the map slightly counter-clockwise to match the local perception of “north”. The use of colour to […]

Submission – Official Map: RideKC System Map, Kansas City, 2021

February 12, 2021
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Submitted by Jon, who says: I’m curious to get your thoughts on the full RideKC Regional Transit Map. RideKC debuted in 2015 as part of the KC Streetcar project [review of the original Streetcar diagram here – Cam], and the RideKC branding is now used for the buses on four transit systems across the metro area, in order to better unify transit across five counties and two states. This map does not show the streetcar […]

Submission – Fantasy Map: An Alternate Seattle Subway Map by Henry Chin

January 14, 2021
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Fantasy Maps
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Submitted by Henry, who says: Here’s a simple diagram for a hypothetical Seattle where Forward Thrust (the original ’60s subway) was actually built and where we would be today. If only we really had this level of transit. I tried to make this kind of look like a diagram you might find in a newspaper, so it’s not super detailed with a legend and stuff. Or at least that’s my excuse for being lazy! Transit […]

Submission – Unofficial Map: Philadelphia Transit and Points of Interest, 2020 by Marc Szarkowski

January 4, 2021
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Submitted by Marc, who says: I thought you might enjoy poring over a transit+points of interest map I recently drew of Center City Philadelphia. I’ve collected bird’s eye urban panoramas since I was a child, and I particularly enjoy panoramas that have placemaking and wayfinding value, such as those drawn by Jenni Sparks and other artists. I also find there’s no better way to learn and demystify seemingly-complex bus service than drawing it a couple […]

Historical Map: SEPTA Regional Rail Map, 1989

November 16, 2020
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Historical Maps
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Submitted by Shaul Picker, who says: I found this map of the regional rail system in Philly from this 1989 SEPTA map to be interesting. I don’t know of any other map to use octagons. This map is notable for having “temporary” shuttle buses to Newtown and West Chester (service never returned), and for noting that service to Ivy Ridge on the R6 was “temporarily discontinued.” Service also never returned here. Note proposed stations at […]

Submission – Unofficial Map: Bus Map of Boulder, Colorado by Stavros R.

October 29, 2020
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Submitted by Stavros, who says: Hello, I just discovered your website, and I want to submit a bus transit map I made last year for the city of Boulder, CO. I hope you consider reviewing it on the blog and letting me know what I can change. In an effort to improve quality of service, the City of Boulder has taken over and invested heavily in a few select bus routes. As a result, the […]