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Atransit map is atopological map in the form of aschematicdiagram used to illustrate the routes and stations within a public transport system—whether this be bus, tram,rapid transit,commuter rail or ferry routes.[1] Metro maps, subway maps, or tube maps of metropolitan railways are some common examples.[2][3]
The primary function of a transit map is facilitating the passengers' orientation and navigation, helping them to efficiently use thepublic transport system and identify which stations function asinterchange between lines.[2]
Transit maps can usually be found in the transit vehicles, at theplatforms or in printedtimetables. They are also accessible through digital platforms likemobile apps andwebsites, ensuring widespread availability and convenience for passengers.[4][5]
The mapping of transit systems was at first generally geographically accurate, but abstract route-maps of individual lines (usually displayed inside the carriages) can be traced back as early as 1908 (London'sDistrict line), and certainly there are examples from European and American railroad cartography as early as the 1890s where geographical features have been removed and the routes of lines have been artificially straightened out. But it wasGeorge Dow of theLondon and North Eastern Railway who was the first to launch a diagrammatic representation of an entire rail transport network (in 1929); his work is seen by historians of the subject as being part of the inspiration forHarry Beck when he launched his iconicLondon Underground map in 1933.
After this pioneering work, many transit authorities worldwide imitated the diagrammatic look for their own networks, some while continuing to also publish hybrid versions that were geographically accurate.
Early maps of theBerlin U-Bahn,Berlin S-Bahn,Boston T,Paris Métro, andNew York City Subway also exhibited some elements of thediagrammatic form.[6][7][8][9]
The 2007 edition of theMadrid Metro map, designed by the RaRo Agency, took the idea of a simple diagram one step further by becoming one of the first produced for a major network to remove diagonal lines altogether; it is constituted just by horizontal and vertical lines only at right angles to each other.[10] After many complaints over its disadvantages, the company reverted to the previous map in 2013.[11]
Transit maps are now increasingly digitized and can be shown in many forms online.[5]
Transit maps usesymbols andabstract representation of the location's geography to illustrate the lines, stations and transfer points of the system while still serving as a tool of physical navigation in the city.
Stations are marked with symbols that break the line's continuity, along with their names, so they may be referred to on othermaps ortravel itineraries. Further help may be granted through the inclusion of importanttourist attractions and other locations such as thecity center; these may be identified through symbols or wording.
Color coding allows the map to specify each route in an easy way, allowing the users to quickly identify where each specific route goes; if it does not go to the desired destination, the colors and symbols allow the user to identify a feasible point of transfer between lines.
Symbols such as aircraft may be used to illustrateairports, and symbols of trains may be used to identify stations that allow transfer to other modes, such ascommuter orintercity train services.
Many transit authorities publish multiple maps of their systems; this can be done by isolating one mode of transport, for instance only rapid transit or only bus, onto a single map, or instead the authorities publish maps covering only a limited area, but with greater detail. Another modification is to produce geographically accurate maps of the system, to allow users to better understand the routes. Even if official geographical accurate maps are not available, these can often be obtained from unofficial sources since the information is available from other sources.
With the widespread use ofzone pricing[citation needed] forfare calculation, systems that span more than one zone need a system to inform the use which zone a particular station is located in. Common ways include varying the tone of the background color, or by running a weak line along the zone boundaries.
There are a growing number of books, websites andworks of art on the subject of urban rail and metro map design and use. There are now hundreds of examples of diagrams in an urban rail or metro map style that are used to represent everything from other transit networks like buses and national rail services tosewerage systems andDerbyshirepublic houses.
One of the most well-known adaptations of an urban rail map wasThe Great Bear, a lithograph by Simon Patterson. First shown in 1992 and nominated for theTurner Prize,The Great Bear replaces station names on the London Underground map with those of explorers, saints, film stars, philosophers and comedians. Other artists such as Scott Rosenbaum, andRalph Gray have also taken the iconic style of the urban rail map and made new artistic creations ranging from the abstract to theSolar System. Following the success of these the idea of adapting other urban rail and metro maps has spread so that now almost every major subway or rapid transit system with a map has been doctored with different names, oftenanagrams of the original station name.
Some maps including those for the rapid transit systems ofNew York City,Washington D.C.,Boston,Montreal,Denver,London have been recreated to include the names of local pubs.[12][13]
A transit map is a schematic diagram that depicts the locations, directions, and connections of stations and lines in a public transit system.
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| Vehicles for hire | |
| Carpooling | |
| Ship | |
| Cable | |
| Other transport | |
| Locations | |
| Ticketing andfares | |
| Routing | |
| Facilities | |
| Scheduling | |
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