A flurry of people have submitted this brand new map out of Montréal for review, so let’s get straight to it!
First of all, it’s important to note that is part of a new suite of maps and wayfinding signage that’s been in development since 2018. Using Montréal’s iconic “black background” Métro map as a starting point, this system has been intentionally designed to use a common design language to “harmonise” the user experience for transit users regardless of travel mode. As seen in the photo below, there’s already a new Métro map out in the wild that uses the same design language, although everything has been subtly tweaked to suit the content of that smaller scale map better – look at the comparative thickness of the Métro lines, for example, or the fact that no stations on the REM or suburban lines are named unless there’s a direct interchange with the Métro.
Note on this photo: Quite a few people sent me this image, which I’ve straightened and brightened in Photoshop. However, I don’t know the original provenance of the picture. If it’s yours, please get in touch so that I can credit you appropriately!
When I last reviewed the Montréal Métro map back in 2016, I wasn’t very impressed – it had moved away from its truly iconic 37-degree tilt to a more standard 45-degree octolinear form and just didn’t seem very polished or confident. It very much seemed like a transitional map, a placeholder for something better in the future… and I think the wait for this suite of new maps has been worth it.
Basing these new maps off the existing Métro maps provides great visual continuity with what has come before, but there’s also a lot of improvements – mixed-case station labels instead of all-caps (finally!), numbered bullets for not only the Métro lines but also the suburban rail lines, and a lovely palette of subsidiary pastel colours for the other services. Using a more standard 45-degree form makes sense now with the increased complexity of the maps, and the way that the space between lines 1 and 2 in the central part of the city has been increased to accommodate the rail stations and their labels is rather clever.
Purists might grumble about the horizontal orientation of the southwestern end of Line 1 (it just looks wrong, even to me as a non-native), but it seems like a pragmatic decision that allows Line 14 to slot in below it on the full system map, and the legend to do the same on the Métro version.
The stylised background representation of the complex geography of the area seems about right to me: it’s not overly-detailed “faux geography”, nor is it simplified to the point where nothing is recognisable. Definitely an improvement over previous maps in my eyes!
I also like that the maps are future-proofed – the branches of the REM line and the future expansion of Line 5 are already plotted in, and it looks like there’ll be adequate room for labels as well – great to see! Not sure there’ll ever be full labelling for the Pie-IX rapid bus line, but it’s a long way down the hierarchy of the map anyway!
The “two-circle” interchange symbol at Sauvé seems a bit fussy to me, especially if you consider that by rights there should be one at Parc as well – there’s an outside walk involved in the transfer at both stations! A minor inconsistency, but something that should be carefully thought about. I’d probably simplify it down to a single dot for simplicity’s sake.
Our final word: A massive improvement over the 2016 Métro map, and the fact that it’s part of what looks like a strong unified wayfinding and signage program makes it even better. It pays homage to the past, while also looking confidently ahead to the future of transit in Montréal.
Source: ARTM website (in French)
I agree with everything you said, including the southern end of the Green line. I get why, but it does indeed feel wrong.
The part I’m happiest about: they fixed the Blue line. It’s back to how it should be. All is right with the world now!
Yes! The addition of the REM through that area forced their hand, I think, but I’m also very happy that the Blue line has gone back to its traditional right-angled form.
STM is finally going to extend Line 5 to Anjou, but sadly, extending it the other way, as was expected in the 1970s, is going nowhere.
Cameron – I’ll email you “future maps of the past” separately.
Extending the Blue line west is never going to happen, because those are English-speaking neighborhoods.
I find the black-on-green cased line of the REM confusing, especially as it leaves Gare Centrale. It looks like there are two separate services, until you get to the first stop, and realize it’s just a weird stylistic choice.
Also, the new numbering for the suburban rail lines seems sloppy, at best. They could have had 11, 12, and 13 terminate at Lucien-L’Allier, and 14 and 15 terminate at Gare Centrale, instead of 11, 12, 14 and 13, 15 respectively, as it is now. That also would have made it easier to find the other ends of the circuitous suburban lines because they could have been numbered in order going clockwise, starting with Candiac.
And while coming up with new numbering for the suburban lines, they shpuld have renumbered the Metro lines. I’m aware of the history of why there is no Line 3, but it still looks silly.
And finally, speaking of the never-built Line 3, which would have been red, they should have made the REM line red, since it uses the tunnel under Mount Royal, which Line 3 was going to use. It would have also avoided having two prominent services both using green lines. I get that it’s supposed to be “green” because it’s electric, but from a design standpoint, I think that’s the wrong choice.
Of course, the long-lost Red line — my reading of the history was that Line 4 to “Expo ’67” took it’s place and there wasn’t enough money for both — would also have been electric as the rest of the Métro is.
Weirdly, the 11-15 numbering for the exo commuter trains (including ones that survived REM) is “new” in that ARTM refers to them as exo1-exo5 …
I missed the memo – ARTM has officially announced the new line numbers.
I agree that the double line treatment for the REM is awkward, given that it’s flanked by two other single lines that are the same width for commuter rail. Other than that I think the map is a great evolution. Cameron, you got a nice shout out in the Montreal Gazette! https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/new-design-puts-rem-bus-rapid-transit-corridor-on-montreal-transit-map
I find the font size o the ARTM map for non terrminal statioms to be to small. Find when you view it as PDF on retia 60 inch display, but on a moving vehicle or dark métro station, it becomes harder to read. ( the STM’s system map that fills a large space in Metro has fonts so small that none of it is readable unless you’re a 15 year old.
I realize you can’t overload a map, but using fonts that are too small defeats the purpose.