The Retro Subway Map That Design Nerds Love Makes a Comeback (nytimes.com) 38
The M.T.A. has unveiled on Wednesday a revamped New York City subway map -- the first major redesign in nearly 50 years. As reported by the New York Times, the map draws inspiration from the modernist but controversial 1972 Unimark version, prioritizing clarity over geographic precision. It's also a part of a broader effort to refresh the system's image amid calls for infrastructure upgrades and political tensions over transit funding and congestion pricing. From the report: The updated version blends elements of the Unimark design with a successor known to some as the Tauranac map, after John Tauranac, a well-regarded New York mapmaker. That design was led by the firm Michael Hertz Associates. The new map is already being displayed on digital monitors, and will be posted in subway cars and platforms over the next several weeks, the M.T.A. said.
For Janno Lieber, the authority's chairman, the occasion was also an opportunity to tie his ambitions for the system to a critical moment in its past. "This is a linchpin moment, like in 1979, when we started to fix the subway system," Mr. Lieber said, referring to the year before the M.T.A. debuted its first capital plan to upgrade the aging transit system. As then, the system is in dire need of new trains and infrastructure improvements. So far, the State Legislature has yet to fully fund the latest $68 billion plan.
The Unimark subway map released in 1972. The latest iteration of New York City's map takes cues from the design. Two of the biggest alterations address the legibility of transfer points at some of the busiest hubs and the depiction of the system's accessibility features, said Shanifah Rieara, the authority's chief customer officer. Mr. Lieber declined to say how much the redesign cost, but said it was paid for "entirely in house," without a stand-alone budget.
For Janno Lieber, the authority's chairman, the occasion was also an opportunity to tie his ambitions for the system to a critical moment in its past. "This is a linchpin moment, like in 1979, when we started to fix the subway system," Mr. Lieber said, referring to the year before the M.T.A. debuted its first capital plan to upgrade the aging transit system. As then, the system is in dire need of new trains and infrastructure improvements. So far, the State Legislature has yet to fully fund the latest $68 billion plan.
The Unimark subway map released in 1972. The latest iteration of New York City's map takes cues from the design. Two of the biggest alterations address the legibility of transfer points at some of the busiest hubs and the depiction of the system's accessibility features, said Shanifah Rieara, the authority's chief customer officer. Mr. Lieber declined to say how much the redesign cost, but said it was paid for "entirely in house," without a stand-alone budget.
Oh boy! (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Tourists arriving from Europe and Asia will get that gritty New York experience that will make them say "Wow!", instead of stepping onto the subway at the airport wondering if they've just entered a 3rd world country.
Re: (Score:2)
Worse than a politically motivated boycott, tourists have rational fears in coming to the US right now.
What (Score:5, Informative)
Why the hell is that a broken link to a ChatGPT conversation?
How did this pass moderation?
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
I came here to say this too.
now back to my cave
Re: (Score:3)
Why the hell is that a broken link to a ChatGPT conversation?
How did this pass moderation?
Moderation? This is a site that posts dupes indiscriminately. I don't think that there is any moderation other than dubious decisions like killing the site by turning off user registrations and the like, insuring that the active userbase atrophies.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Wasn't a crypto story (Score:2)
BeauHD, the Slashdot "editor" responsible for this, didn't have time to properly vet the submission. They got an urgent call to their primary job as a Walmart greeter.
Also, it wasn't a crypto story, so they didn't give a shit. [slashdot.org]
Re: (Score:1)
Slashdotting a site is back, baby!
What's the big deal? (Score:1)
Seriously. It's an effing subway/tram/metro/stadtbahn map. We have like 50+ of those.
I don't quite get what the fuss is about.
Then again, I'm in Germany and PT is regular everyday stuff over here, maybe that's it.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
We've been using the same basic map design on the wall in every NYC subway station, and the original designer calls it "a mess" [nypost.com]. It's an insufficient for people's needs and it can be confusing to use.
For many Americans, their first experience with ANY kind of subway or train is the first time they visit NYC.
1972 modernist? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:1972 modernist? (Score:4, Informative)
It's a straight up copy of the London Underground map, first done in 1931 [ltmuseum.co.uk]. Just under a hundred years late then, ah well - better late than never I suppose.
Yep, I knew even before I opened the link in the summary it would be a standard London Tube map that we've been using for yonks.
To be fair, they're copying the best. Mass transit systems the world over use variants if not flat out copies of the Tube map's design because it fucking works and works fucking well. Simple, easy to read yet can convey a complex system in seconds.
Unable to load conversation (Score:2)
What about the author at least doing ctrl-s first and hosting the conversation somewhere other than at a ChatGPT share link?
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
For share links it is a reasonable expectation that they can be deleted any time or even have an expiry date.
It's a good start. (Score:2)
But the map is still complicated. So next, they should consider deinterlining [pedestrian...ations.com] some of those knots.
Re: (Score:2)
How is it complicated? It gives the information needed and nothing else. The map has to show the subway system so if there are oddities it's not the fault of the mapmaker but the design of the subway itself.
Map? (Score:5, Insightful)
As any cartography and transport "map" nerd will tell you - it's not a map, it's a diagram.
And they'll be wrong (Score:1)
Cartography and transport terminology is not the English language.
Re: (Score:2)
Well, they have several graphics, which are some of each.
https://www.mta.info/maps [mta.info] has both maps and diagrams, each correctly labelled. But they do then lump them all together as "maps," and the article itself would appear to be talking about the diagrams while describing them as "maps."
icons (Score:2)
Re: icons (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
What's the icon for the homeless guy on fire?
What's the icon for the poor guy that unfortunately chose to pee on the third rail out of, 'need'?
Dumb (Score:2, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Shows how to get to JFK.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Follow the subway tunnels and you'll be able to land the plane anywhere you want in NYC.
Re: (Score:2)
What do you want a fuckin medal?
No, the medal should be given to everybody who is stuck riding the shithole that is the NYC subway
The Montreal Metro system uses that style (Score:1)
The Montreal Metro system has used that style since it first opened in 1966. The Paris Metro as well.
https://www.google.com/search?q=montreal+metro+map&udm=2
Re: (Score:3)
Almost all do, they're all modeled after the 1931 London Underground diagram by Harry Beck. But when they tried that in New York back in 1972, people HATED IT because it didn't match the real geography of the city above.