My Twitter feed and inbox are both absolutely overflowing with references to this map from the “xkcd’ web comic, so here’s a post about it! xkcd has always been a comic for geeks, and has a long history of awesome map-related work – my favourites include this Lord of the Rings movie narrative map, and the particularly carto-nerdy discussion of map projections – so it’s nice to see the strip’s attention turn to this particular facet […]
Long time readers will be aware of my low opinion of the Washington DC Metro Rail map – here’s a fairly scathing review of the “Rush+” map (March 2012, 2.5 stars) to refresh your memory. It looks like WMATA is preparing for the opening of the Silver Line and has put a draft version of a new map up for comments. According to the blurb there, the route lines are now thinner and station names […]
This is what you get when you trawl the internet late at night…easily one of the strangest things I’ve come across on the Web lately. You can actually play this map as if it was a game of Ms. Pacman – note the bow in her hair and Cindy Crawford-like beauty spot, just like the original game. Instructions on how to play are here. (Hint: it’s much easier to use the R O Y G […]
Great motion blur photo from the Washington, DC Metro. Source: itsmaddness/Flickr
Ha! Love the way the cracks under the remnants of the map seem to form their own roads and streets. Great title for this photo, too. Source: JSDesign/Flickr
Just good enough to pass for the real thing when fleetingly seen in the background of a TV show. The map uses real DC Metro station names, but they’re all in the wrong places. The “corporate identity” uses the colours from the old TriMet livery… which is kind of neat, seeing as the show is filmed in Portland, TriMet’s base of operations. In the show, I believe that the Washington Park MAX station (the only […]
The Washington DC Metro two map system at work. Source: claryblaze/Flickr
Not half bad, either. Source: justgrimes/Flickr
Here’s a question from an anonymous follower, who asks: “Is it good or bad to depict lines under construction on subway maps?” In my opinion, if the line is actually under construction, then it’s definitely a good thing to show it. It gets users acquainted with the new line before it opens and generates interest. How you show it is up to you – dashed lines are the usual way, although advances in printing mean […]
Leaving aside the politics and cost for a minute, this is actually a pretty darn nice map. Attractive and informational. Drawing the “Super Express” and “Express” routes as dead straight lines definitely emphasises the idea of speed and direct connections between points. Long Island looks a little weird, though… Source: carfreemaine/Tumblr – link no longer active
