The Official MBTA System Map

[TheRatmeister]

Per Reddit, there is a new MBTA map out there, featuring a significantly de-weighted Silver Line, and phase 1 BNRD in a style not dissimilar to what @TheRatmeister has done.
View attachment 55289

Changes I like:

• Thinner bus lines
• More accurate depiction of Logan Ferries
• Thinner Silver Line, at least on Washington St and past SLW. If it's on the table then I'll definitely make the change.
• Arlington Heights is finally fixed
• No more "multiple stops" text at Design Center
• 39 is shown accurately
• They didn't add a 90 degree bend in the Red Line in Cambridge like the draft version did, that was horrific

Things I'm indifferent about:

• Terminus dots, I don't think it's necessary but it's also not terrible
• Chinatown Gate gets a dot but no text (Why bother with the dot, or lets face it the stop, at that point then?)

Things I don't like:

• Further de-emphasis of the Commuter Rail, and especially the Fairmount Line.
• Related, but the CR text is too small.
• BNRD Phase 1. Oh god, it's horrible. If you ever wondered why that section is pretty liberal with geographic accuracy, that's why.
• 109 transfer at Union Sq isn't shown
• Why are the airport terminals and social media logos B&W?
• Why does the media relations email need to be on the map? Like, really?
• Why did they change Hawes St and St Marys St to be like that? They look terrible.
• The bus lines are very squiggly and often hard to follow. The 104 and 1 are especially bad
• The bus/subway transfers are not shown well. It's actually quite similar to what @Riverside has done previously, but worse.

but I definitely think mine is still better

 

[TheRatmeister]

Alright banged out a quick thin Silver Line version, now with the same thickness as the "Rapid Busway" designated corridors. I've kept the Transitway and SL3 as the Rapid Transit width however, unlike the new map which demotes those further than I think is justified.

 

[Teban54]

• 109 transfer at Union Sq isn't shown

Maybe because the walk is deemed sufficiently long that it wasn't counted as a transfer? Somewhat similar to 110 at Revere Beach.

• Why did they change Hawes St and St Marys St to be like that? They look terrible.

My first guess is to make the 66 look nice (straight line from Harvard Ave), but I haven't compared it with the original official map yet.

 

[TheRatmeister]

Maybe because the walk is deemed sufficiently long that it wasn't counted as a transfer? Somewhat similar to 110 at Revere Beach.

It's about 4 minutes which is just about the same as the walk to East Somerville. If you count one I don't see why you shouldn't count the other.

My first guess is to make the 66 look nice (straight line from Harvard Ave), but I haven't compared it with the original official map yet.

It's already straight on the original map

 

[TheRatmeister]

Alright here's my version of the new map, with BNRD phase 1, updated social media in the legend, and West Medford accessibility improvements (Edit: And some new/recurrent mistakes. I've already fixed the 39, phantom 117, holdover transfers from the full BNRD version at MFA, Herald St, and Union Park St, and a weird color mismatch on the Commuter Rail with yet another revision)

Now just for some side-by-sides with the new official map:

 

[nortor]

Alright here's my version of the new map

Wow, looks fantastic. Is there any way you could get Franklin Park closer to the OL?

 

[TheRatmeister]

Wow, looks fantastic. Is there any way you could get Franklin Park closer to the OL?

Without making it even larger, and compressing the Columbus Ave stops as well, not really. The preferable way to do it would be to bring the OL and SL4/5 closer together, but because of how this map has the GL and OL close together that isn't really possible, Back Bay is already crammed in there and there isn't any more space to take.