 |
|
 |
|
|
|
The materials shown on this page are copyright protected by
their authors and/or respective institutions. |
|
|
|
|
NYC Subway Map Redesign |
|
Author(s):
Eddie Jabbour |
Institution:
Kick Design |
Year:
2004 |
URL:
http://www.kickdesign.com/mapcomparison/ |
Project Description:
Eddie Jabbour, Creative Director at Kick Design, New York, is a tireless advocate for a new map design and communication solution for the world's most complex subway system. The NYC subway is indeed a challenge by itself. It has the biggest number of stations in the world (468), the second longest network and it's seventh in daily passenger numbers.
But that didn't seem to intimidate Eddie Jabbour, who has produced a truly impressive proposal for redesigning the New York City subway map. He has made it easier to see all the different lines and made it clearer to identify the stations. The new map has not yet been released in totality, but Kick Design has put some samples out, which look exciting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comments (30):
|
|
|
|
|
Loved today's (Sunday's)piece in the NY Times. How can I get a copy of Jabbour's subway map?! I only need one.
Posted by lucille warner on Apr 22, 2007 at 3:05 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
I went to the kick design website to see more samples of the work after reading the Times piece. Interesting if a bit more busy. Biggest weakness I saw was the removal of the bus line connections...obviously there wasn't room for the data. Second biggest weakness is now I have no idea where the actual stations are in relation to the street system.
Posted by Eric Schatz on Apr 22, 2007 at 5:59 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
What about buses?
Posted by Eric on Apr 22, 2007 at 8:05 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
How about a dual map? A geographically accurate street map showing subway station locations clearly, and a non-literal subway line map like Jabbour's showing you how to get from station to station? (The street map could include bus routes)
Posted by Don Noble on Apr 22, 2007 at 11:45 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
I WANT ONE TOO. SUBWAY AND BUS MAP. WHERE DO YOU GET THEM?
Posted by john on Apr 22, 2007 at 11:52 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
Eddie's map is cute, but too confusing with all the lines and separate circles for each station. Am I the only one that thinks the current map is fine the way it is?
Posted by Lauren on Apr 23, 2007 at 3:02 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
This map is amazing, especially because each subway line gets its own line! I have to strain over passengers to make out if the N goes to Atlantic, or where the Q separates, or if the E stops at 50th St. This would solve a lot of repetitive and needless map reading.
Posted by jon on Apr 23, 2007 at 4:41 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
How can I get a copy? I can use the London tube but still don't understand the NYC subway system after 40 years.
Posted by Deena on Apr 23, 2007 at 8:58 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
I'm especially glad that he included stations where it is not possible to reverse direction (little orange squares on the map). As for Don Noble's suggestion, the MTA once issued a set of side-by-side geographically accurate subway and bus maps of Manhattan - quite useful. Unfortunately, it only extended north to 168th St. and a Washington Heights or Inwood politician (who obviously had nothing better to do) made quite a stink about that. The map was never reissued.
Posted by Robert L. Sklar on Apr 27, 2007 at 12:56 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
Horrible. It sacrifices all geographic relevance, assuming the user has no need to know where the subway stations exist in relation to the rest of the city -- necessitating the use of a second map to determine how streets and landmarks relate to train stops.
Posted by DC on May 21, 2007 at 8:06 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
fyi: here's a link to view the latest (with streets).
http://www.kickmap.com
Posted by Eddie Jabbour on May 25, 2007 at 11:50 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
I think the map is quite an improvement on the current one. The biggest hit (and biggest deficiency in the current mta map), in my opionion, is the separating out of each line to (ta-dah) ITS OWN LINE. Brilliantly simple.
Ok, now....is this map available? i see bits and pieces on this and other websites. How about a complete one in jpg or pdf?
Posted by Hugo Furth on Jun 25, 2007 at 4:01 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
"I have no idea where the actual stations are in relation to the street system."
Really?
The relevant stations are street numbers (indeed there are 5 23rd street stations), and the avenues are marked on the map.
This map kicks ass, and should be adopted by the city ASAP - the current map is an international embarassment
Posted by The Doctor on Oct 24, 2007 at 5:05 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
How can i get this map?
It's the best thing since the powers that be did away with the IRT, IND & BMT?
Posted by dan on Feb 26, 2008 at 10:43 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
It's too confusing for me,
but I like the colors.
I dont think the everyday train rider would benifit.
Its just not practical.
Posted by Gerald Hopkins on Apr 14, 2008 at 9:36 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
For those unfamiliar with the term "stretched type", its what happens when, during the design process, letters, words, etc are scaled larger or smaller without maintaining the original height-to-width proportion of the font. The result is visually painful, typographically perverse and a biiigggg graphic design no-no (I have professors who would eat my face if I stretched type).
So why oh why is the name of nearly every street and station set in stretched and disfigured type?!
I can tell an incrrreeddible amount of time and effort went into this, but no matter how perfect a map is, if the typography is distorted then the whole piece is garbage.
Posted by Austin Pheiffer on Apr 14, 2008 at 10:06 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
This map does a good job of answering the question "Should I take the 1, 2 or 3? the A, C or E?," etc. It's great for tourists; people who just haven't figured out the system or people riding a new train for the first time.
I would love to see a map that has the streets and subways in a way that I can look at it and answer the question "from where I am standing right now, what is the best way to get to where I am going, how do I get to that station and what train do I take once I am there." This seems more practical for New Yorkers.
Posted by Larry on Jun 23, 2008 at 3:06 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
"world's most complex subway system"?? ever been to Tokyo? they have multiple companies operating many different lines. i grew up in nyc but Tokyo beats ny's system, no contest at all.
Posted by z on Jul 14, 2008 at 10:56 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
Hi I started a debate between the ideas of complexity and simplicity in urbanism here and I would love to get your thoughts on the subject!
Posted by Dave on Aug 26, 2008 at 5:23 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
"So why oh why is the name of nearly every street and station set in stretched and disfigured type?!" Just in case you had not previously been made aware, one of the reasons your past professor would eat your face, as you so eloquently stated, is because condensed and extended cuts of typefaces are widely available for many typefaces. See example (map) above. Condensed typefaces do not directly distort the horizontal to vertical proportions of the typeface. Rather, the elements the individual letter's composition are remeasured and rearranged so as to take up less horizontal space. This maintains the thickness and weight of the line without compromising the overall characteristics of the typeface. As a non-New Yorker, I appreciate the new map. The newest version that is linked to in an above post (thanks Eddie!) is cleaner and the color blocks representing neighborhoods, and different sector of New York make the map much more usable in my opinion.
Posted by Rikku on Sep 9, 2008 at 6:53 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
"Unfortunately, it only extended north to 168th St. and a Washington Heights or Inwood politician (who obviously had nothing better to do) made quite a stink about that. The map was never reissued.
Posted by Robert L. Sklar on Apr 27, 2007 at 12:56 PM (GMT)"
As a mapmaker and resident of Inwood this comment pisses me off. Of course "a stink" was raised.
What is the point in a partial map of the system? Too often NYC is seen as just Lower Manhattan.
Posted by Eamonn on Feb 9, 2009 at 4:11 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
Although the map looks nice, it isn’t functional. Adding a line for each subway line is unnecessary and creates clutter on the map. Also, color-coding each neighborhood with a different hue adds to the confusion and might just overwhelm the user. The best thing about the current map is the amount of information it contains. Not only do you get a comprehensive view of the subway system, but also the major streets, neighborhoods, connections to buses, parks, landmarks, etc. The Kick design map is not as schematic as the London tube one, but it loses some of the versatility of the current map I just mentioned.
More color and line work is usually not a good idea. Good exercise in cartography though.
Posted by Justyna on Feb 27, 2009 at 9:26 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
The current map shows which stops are express and which aren't, very quickly. I've used the current MTA map to navigate (walking) around the city. I could not do either of those activities with this version, which does not quickly tell me which stations are express, and doesn't give me context into the layout of the city.
Posted by Allison on Mar 31, 2009 at 7:23 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
Please get Robert L Sklar to contact me. I think we may be related. April 20, 2007 posting from him.
Posted by Arnold Henkin Frankel on Apr 19, 2009 at 11:21 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
@z:
The NYC subway is more complex than Tokyo's by a lot. Tokyo doesn't do extensive interlining the way NYC does, and so there isn't as much of a need for precise, complicated schedules. Tokyo does not have express tracks. Tokyo does not contain abandoned sections or stations, or much unused track. Tokyo is not as old as the NYC subway, and so does not require as much maintenance. Also, it's intelligently designed, not designed by three separate operators competing with each other, and works smoothly with commuter rail. New York also has PATH, and while MTA/PATH isn't exactly comparable to TOEI/TEITO, the MTA's system is WAY huger and more complex and used by more riders than either TOEI or TEITO's system (but not them combined).
Yes, Tokyo's subway covers a larger metropolitan area, and serves more riders, but in terms of "complexity" New York's got it beat.
Posted by DC on Jun 10, 2009 at 1:29 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
@DC: living in tokyo, i gotta say it is quite complex here, and your info seems a bit off to me. there are lots of cross line connections, MANY competing companies (japan rail, tokyo metro (was teito), toei, plus EIGHT other private networks that each have 5-12 lines each - and, thus, competing maps!), there are express lines in different areas, etc. it is huge. and, they way the overland trains mix in with the local metro system, it is impossible to tell where one ends and the other starts. but, i do agree - in spite of this, the one time i went to nyc, i got on the wrong train and went WAY off from where i wanted to be. so, map re-design. yes! and, btw - the current map design looks like they took all of the critiques in line - looks several steps beyond the two pix posted here!
Posted by PS on Jun 22, 2009 at 6:10 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
OK, true, but it's hard to identify what's a "subway" service in Tokyo. Many of these "subway" services could actually be considered commuter rail, so for purposes of simplicity, I only consider teito and toei the Tokyo "subway". Yes, Tokyo's transportation system is the most complex in the world by far, but the fact that it is relatively modern helps keep it easier to run than New York's. MTA has to manage the two busiest commuter rail agencies in the US, a subway built over a century ago which happens to be the fourth busiest subway in the world (half of which is completely incompatible with the other half), the Staten Island Railway, a system of ferries, a tramway, a light rail system, the busiest bus network in America, and virtually all crossings of the East and Hudson Rivers. No single company in Tokyo has more complex operations than that. And again, New York's long history adds another element of complexity.
But certainly, Tokyo's commuter rail network is ridiculous. I've seen the maps, and I'm still trying to untangle my brain.
Posted by DC on Jun 28, 2009 at 1:10 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
Also, New York's routings are very transient. How are Tokyo's?
Posted by DC on Jun 28, 2009 at 2:01 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
I just bought KickMap for the iPhone. So far so good, but I can't make the "3 second touch" feature work on any subway stations at any magnification.
-Mark
Posted by Mark Derison on Sep 21, 2009 at 12:44 AM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
Australian maps have been doing the colour coded thing for a long time :S
Posted by ET on Dec 4, 2009 at 6:46 PM (GMT)
|
|
|
|
|
| *Note* Before you submit your comment, bear in mind there's no guarantee it will be seen by this project's author. In case you want to contact the author directly, please follow the provided URL. |
| Leave a Comment: |
|
|
|
* COMMENTS HAVE BEEN TEMPORARILY DISABLED *
(We're looking for the best solution to avoid unwanted SPAM)
|
|
Follow on: 
