Submitted by Aaron, who says:
Worst map? High quality map I found while researching random rural transportation systems in the middle of nowhere across the country. I have to say, their website design is not much better either.
Transit Maps says:
It’s all so easy to look at this very basic map and say that it’s terrible, but we do need to be mindful that these small regional transit services operate on shoestring budgets with minimal staff and resources. Looking at the metadata of the PDF, I can see that it’s been produced in Microsoft Publisher (not really a first choice for transit map design!) and the name attached to the “Author” field is that of TranGo’s General Manager – it looks like they wear a lot of different hats within the organization if they’re the ones producing the timetable brochure and map!
One thing the map does do really well within its simple framework is differentiate between its routes by using shapes as well as colour – meaning that it’s actually quite accessible for colour-blind users, even if the method employed is a little unconventional.
I’d also argue that the simplicity doesn’t matter that much, as the geography of this part of Washington means that there’s really only one way to get from one town to another: Okanogan to Twisp? State Highway 20. Brewster to Okanogan? U.S. Highway 97. And so on. In a way, this little diagram is simply a quick way of showing which towns are directly connected by bus services and no more, and in that it generally succeeds. There is a more detailed interactive map available on TranGo’s website which shows full routes, bus stops and schedule information, so this map isn’t the be-all-and-end-all of map from the agency.
I will also say that the TranGo logo is quite nice, though perhaps it’s uncomfortably similar to the previous SFMTA logo (which itself was accused of plagiarism at the time it was introduced).
Our final word: No, it’s not great – but it does the job in the context it’s used in (an introductory brochure about transit in the area) and the constraints it was produced under.
Source: TranGo website
Does the map show the zones? If so, I can’t figure them out. Are the places listed in the fares box the names of zones? If South Okonogan is a zone, does that mean you can ride the black dotted line as far as South Okonogan for $1 but must pay an extra fare if you ride into Okonogan proper? I don’t know. I guess I would need a fistful of dollars (somebody should make a movie about that) before trying to ride this bus system. Maybe I’m cranky today, but I also think that the route IDs are pointless. The line between Twisp and Pateros, for example, is labeled the Twisp-Pateros route.