MBTA Map Contest Finalists

davem said:
Probably should have stated, I like the concept of creating a similar set of symbols and design conventions for all transit maps. I'm not a fan of cramming them all into a square, or other things that seem to take away from usefulness.
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Symbols, yes, design conventions, no. I'm all for having some standardized symbols to represent connections to airports (which we pretty much already have), intercity rail, park-and-ride, handicapped-accessibility, etc. I don't want to lose the local flavor of the different maps, though. Even the ones which have simply adapted the Beck standard for diagrammatic design still have something of their own identity.

A transit map, in my mind, should have the following priorities:

1) CLEARLY provide location information to customers. You should be able, in a minimum of time, to find yourself, your destination, and the different corridors you can take to get between the two, as well as relevant connection points. This involves including enough geographic realism to provide reference - the MBTA map fails this test on many levels.

2) Represent the operational layout of the system. Once you've provided customers with the ability to intuitively locate things, then you can go crazy with distorting geography. Once the Underground map tells you if you're north or south of the Thames and roughly where you are east-west, it can then play around with the station spacings and line straightening and such to make things easier to comprehend from a network perspective.

3) Synchronize with, and often drive, the branding of the system and city. For tourists, the transit map is going to be referenced so often that its representation of the city often will become more intuitive than the actual geography. This is why telling people where they are is so important. It's also why maps should be uniquely designed and pleasing to the eye. A cheap or ugly-looking map can make the entire city seem low-rent to people.
 
Wow, that's by far my favorite map so far it makes much more geographical sense than the others and doesn't sacrifice readability.
 
Oh my God, I'm in love.

Admittedly, not with all of them. The curvy one– sorry, not a fan. Sorta pretty, but no. Similarly, the circle one is elegant, but I don't think it works as well for Boston as it did for London.

But I really love most of the rest, especially the rotated hexilinear design, the rotated linear design and especially the standard hexilinear design.

Couple of touches I really like:

First, his balloon solution to the Silver Line downtown loops is great. The balloons are not novel, but he realized that the best way to make them work is to bring South Station down on the same level at Boylston and Chinatown, creating a very effective symmetry. You can especially see it in the rotated linear version.

I like his solution to the Readville Junction problem. Clear but not obtrusive.

Also really like how he says "Stoughton or Providence, then Wickford Junction" for the Providence/Stoughton Line; important to balance the destination with the common name for the line (as well as the anchor city at the far end of the line).

I only wish the labels could be a little bigger. You have to squint more frequently than I like.

I also wish he had more clearly provisioned for GLX, though I don't think any of the designs would be too disrupted by that addition.

Thanks for posting!
 
This is my favorite:

http://www.tubemapcentral.com/newsletters/files/boston_vhxlinear.jpg

The twisted angle manages to get across both the westward orientation of the Green Line branches and the southward orientation of Orange and Red while keeping them parallel (I don't really like the way that the other hexalinear ones make it look like the green line runs away from the river). I also feel like that one really gets across how close BU and Harvard actually are. Somehow this map marries geography (at least intuitive geography) and geometry really well.

My only issues are that the Commuter Rail lines need to be lighter or thinner to cut down on clutter, and that the Mattapan Line and the GL streetcars should have the same line style.
 
Can we as a city please agree that the C line does not at any point make a 90 degree turn?
 
Did South Weymouth and Holbrook/Randolph lose a sports bet and have to wear the opposing team jerseys for a day?
 
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