The Official MBTA System Map

Here's a quick line diagram I put together for the Red Line, designed around the same 48"x48" frame as the big ones in the stations. Any thoughts before I do the other lines?
Red Line Line Diagram.png
 
TheRatmeister said:
Here's a quick line diagram I put together for the Red Line, designed around the same 48"x48" frame as the big ones in the stations. Any thoughts before I do the other lines?
View attachment 57861
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Looking great! I’ve always loved these diagrams. I second the inclusion of the Mattapan Line. It also does feel a little weird to have North Quincy be higher up than Savin Hill (even though I know this is diagrammatic).

Only other thought is that maybe it would be helpful to include non-frequent bus connections?
 
TheRatmeister said:
And an update to my December 2024 version based on the thick CR version:
View attachment 57840
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This continues to look amazing. If you are reaching out to the T, I hope you will share this with them.

There are some non-MBTA ferries that serve the Seaport. Have you considered adding them? Likewise, an Amtrak-style Logan Express icon at Back Bay?
 
Riverside said:
Only other thought is that maybe it would be helpful to include non-frequent bus connections?
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Even just with the frequent bus routes it's getting busy, I think that get extremely crazy very fast.
Riverside said:
If you are reaching out to the T, I hope you will share this with them.
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I sent it to the MBTA a couple months back, didn't hear anything. I emailed it to the MPO a few days ago, still not expecting much but should I hear anything I'll be sure to post it.
Riverside said:
There are some non-MBTA ferries that serve the Seaport. Have you considered adding them?
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A ferry map is on my to-do sometime list, but for this map I think it's better to leave them off. The ferries get extremely out of hand if you try to show them all.
Riverside said:
Likewise, an Amtrak-style Logan Express icon at Back Bay?
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The crowded-ness of that area of the map makes that a challenge but it's a good idea, I'll see if I can fit it.
 
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TheRatmeister said:
Even just with the frequent bus routes it's getting busy, I think that get extremely crazy very fast.
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Yeah, I wasn’t necessarily thinking of listing them out, more something like a piece of text “and other bus routes” or something.

Are there any stations (on any line) that have a bus connection but not to any frequent routes? (I don’t have a map in front of me, but I think it might be Alewife, Oak Grove, Assembly, Orient Heights, Beachmont, Braintree, Newton Centre and Highlands, Reservoir, one or two stops on the B and C, Heath St… I guess Aquarium, for as long as the 4 is around, I think?)

The argument in favor of something like “and other routes” is that when you have a level of apparent detail like you have now, it implies both detail and completeness. Adding some small indication of other routes would clarify that the explicit list of routes is not exhaustive. (Alewife feels like a good example of a station that should be marked as having bus transfers, even if they aren’t listed out explicitly — it has a busway, so transfers are a key part of its identity.)
 
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Riverside said:
Are there any stations (on any line) that have a bus connection but not to any frequent routes? (I don’t have a map in front of me, but I think it might be Alewife, Oak Grove, Assembly, Orient Heights, Beachmont, Braintree, Newton Centre and Highlands, Reservoir, one or two stops on the B and C, Heath St… I guess Aquarium, for as long as the 4 is around, I think?)
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Plus Park St, Quincy Adams, North Quincy, DTX, Govy, and Aquarium for express buses, Wood Island, Tufts Medical Ctr, Ball Sq, Waban, Riverside as long as the 558 exists, MFA, LMA, Heath St, Cleveland Circle, Washington Sq, Washington St, and Chestnut Hill Ave, plus Chelsea on the SL3.
 
Riverside said:
Likewise, an Amtrak-style Logan Express icon at Back Bay?
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Well I immediately encountered a major obstacle with this: There doesn't actually seem to be a logo for the Logan Express. Basically every logo or representation I can find, from signs, to buses, to social media posts uses a different logo.
 
TheRatmeister said:
Well I immediately encountered a major obstacle with this: There doesn't actually seem to be a logo for the Logan Express. Basically every logo or representation I can find, from signs, to buses, to social media posts uses a different logo.
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Just use the airplane icon you have at the airport itself, or "airport transfer" icon?
 
TheRatmeister said:
Which is the better Harvard? (Yes the 47 is also different, ignore that.)
View attachment 57941
View attachment 57942
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I like the first one (left one) as well, with the 2 columns of 3 rows each. That being said, I do also prefer the 47's treatment in the second one; I know you said you were gonna change that, I'm just not sure which direction you're going with.
 
Riverside said:
I like the first one (left one) as well, with the 2 columns of 3 rows each. That being said, I do also prefer the 47's treatment in the second one; I know you said you were gonna change that, I'm just not sure which direction you're going with.
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I changed the 47 to be the left one, it makes the B branch a lot better IMO, so I'm willing to sacrifice the 47's directness a bit.
 
TheRatmeister said:
I changed the 47 to be the left one, it makes the B branch a lot better IMO, so I'm willing to sacrifice the 47's directness a bit.
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Before:
1732050015507.png


After:
1732050049015.png

Although now that I think about it this might be a reversion of a change I made early in the development of this map, idk.

Also, I managed to fit most of the inner northern CR stops. Although there are still way too many on the Haverhill Line to fit.
1732050470208.png
 
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