New York Metropolis’s subway map has been largely unchanged since 1979, when a committee led by the Metropolitan Transit Authority laid these now immediately recognizable colours over the streets of the 5 boroughs. However the map has had some actual issues with readability for all of its 46 years, and it requires information of categorical and native strains that the majority vacationers merely haven’t got. Now, lastly, the MTA has given us a alternative: A shiny new early-’70s-inspired map of New York’s subways.
The brand new structure ditches the road map solely, as an alternative returning to the extra abstracted view of the beloved 1972 map from Massimo Vignelli. Subway strains are now not mapped out with precise curvature, however with strains as straight as doable. The strains additionally now not merge when working collectively, leaving it unclear to newcomers which strains cease at which stations, however run as parallel teams that simply reveal whether or not you are on the proper practice. It is a map that is each prettier and extra legible.
The 1972 Vignelli map is a transparent affect
The brand new map contains loads of particulars the 1972 map disregarded — small, unimportant issues, like Staten Island — however the earlier map’s affect is obvious. The brand new map shares the Vignelli model’s fundamental shapes and angles, however introduces extra distinction and readability whereas preserving the trendy coloration scheme. The brand new map even contains the Lengthy Island Rail Street and Amtrak as intra-city transit choices, in case you’re feeling like spending additional to get from thirty fourth Avenue to Jamaica.
The brand new design might not be good — the size of the map underestimates how a lot strolling is required to get round components of Brooklyn and Queens — however it’s lovely and helpful sufficient that the little points do not look like they matter. It is actually simply such a beautiful design. I need this new subway map as a wall print, a full again tattoo, or probably each.
