Emerging Best 2 Practices

JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES AC Transit Map Assessment Report | 33 Emerging Best Practices In order to take a map from the conceptual stage parks, hospitals, and all the other places (when its purposes are defned) to a real docu- people might want to travel is shown? What ment, it must be designed. How well a map are the criteria for the selection of these ele- actually accomplishes its purposes arises from ments of the map? Again, a direct import of the quality of the design process, and from the geographic information may not achieve the skill and thoroughness of the designers. Both desired outcomes. Details like every public could be described as “cartography.” right-of-way, freight railroads, the exact out- lines of greenspaces, minor parks, freeway Transit maps are a diffcult design task, requir- ramps and precise shorelines (especially at ing careful attention to a multitude of factors. ports) should each be considered and some- The task of the designer is to select and repre- times simplifed or eliminated in support of sent the most important information possible the map’s purposes. at a given scale, without overwhelming the map reader. Some of the areas in which cartographic PRACTICES BEST EMERGING and design expertise have a very positive effect Frequent Network maps are: Many cities now produce a separate system map • How space is represented. Many of the that only shows frequent services. This seems most famous transit maps, such as those to be particularly important in places where the of the London Underground or system map is very complex. City subway, reduce real geographic space LA Metro once produced the “Every 15 Minutes to a diagram. The diagram represents the or Better” map (referenced with regards to structure of the transit network in a simple showing other agencies’ services, on page 26, manner, rather than showing how the and shown in full in Figure 27 on page 35). network relates to real distances. Service cuts in recent years have decreased the • How lines are represented. While the clas- size of the frequent network in LA, so Metro no sifcation of services will guide the color and longer produces the standalone map. style of lines, the designer will also need to A private citizen in Seattle has begun produc- decide how to draw parallel and intersect- ing a similar map, that shows very little of the ing services, and the level of routing detail copious detail included on the King County to show. A direct import of GIS data about Metro map. It shows only services that come each route’s exact turns is not necessarily the every 15 minutes, or better, and also leaves off a right amount of detail for the map. lot of the other information included in the King • The use of text. Insets from maps by King County system map. The two are shown side-by- County Metro (shown in Figure 5 on page side, in Figure 28 on page 35. 10) and WMATA (before it was rede- signed, shown in Figure 16 on page 21) demonstrate how cluttered a map can become with text. Decisions about what text to include and what to leave off, as well as decisions about fonts, color, capitalization and weighting will enormous impacts on the usefulness of a map.

• Non-transit information. How much second- ary info about streets, points of interest,

JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES AC Transit Map Assessment Report | 34 metro.net Every 15 Minutes (or Less)

PACOIMA FOOTHILL BL

GLENOAKS BL LAUREL CANYON BL ARLETA AV SAN FERNANDO RD WOODMAN AV

VAN NUYS BL 233 ARLETA Northridge Cal State 761 902 Fashion Center Northridge NORDHOFF ST SUNLAND BL PASADENA CHASE ST NORTHRIDGE LDNOR PANORAMA CITY SIERRA MADRE

CORBIN AV ROSCOE BL MEMORIAL PARK LAKE ALLEN VILLA PARTHENIA ST KESWICK ST VAN NUYS BUR BURBANK SHERMAN WY 180 BOB HOPE GLENDALE 81 84 81 180 WILBUR AV RESEDA BL RESEDA 181 180 181 780 180 181 780 180 181 780 VANOWEN ST AIRPORT BL CANOGA DE SOTO 780 780 PIERCE SHERMAN WY 224 METRO ORANGE LINE VICTORY BL COLLEGE Van Nuys EAGLE DEL MAR VICTORY BL SEPULVEDA NUYS BL VAN DEL MAR BL LA Pierce Gov’t Ctr ROCK LAKE AV WOODMAN BRAND BL WARNER BALBOA WOODLEY HARVEY DR CENTRAL AV

College VERDUGO RD FIGUEROA ST FIGUEROA FAIR OAKS AV OAKS FAIR CENTER VAN NUYS COLORADO ST AV GLENDALE LOS ROBLES AV LOS

WARNER ROCK BL EAGLE

TAMPA RESEDA LA Valley 603 SIERRA VILLA DR

CENTER College BL ORANGE GROVE 180 181 780 233 761 LAUREL CHEVY CHASE DR

CANYON LANKERSHIM BL BL BURBANK BL VALLEY WINNETKA AV BL BALBOA AV WOODLEY BL SEPULVEDA COLLEGE NORTH HOLLYWOOD FILLMORE LOS FELIZ MAGNOLIA BL VALLEY 81 VILLAGE Universal 94 RIVERSIDE DR Studios GRIFFITH GLENDALE 603 GLENARM ST WOODMAN AV WOODMAN LOSRIVERSIDE FELIZ BL DR 794 UNIVERSAL CITY PARK SOUTH VENTURA BL SAN FERNANDO RD ENCINO BRAND BL PASADENA SHERMAN STUDIO 180 CITY FRANKLIN AV 181 OAKS 780 LAUREL CYN LAUREL CYN BL COLDWATER CYN AV CYN COLDWATER MISSION HOLLYWOOD/ HOLLYWOOD/ MISSION ST HOLLYWOOD/ VINE WESTERN 90 91 HIGHLAND MONTEREY RD HIGHLAND 94 603 PARK

217 780 180 181 794 ST FIGUEROA HOLLYWOOD BL 217 780 207 204 HIGHLAND PARK HOLLYWOOD 757 754 /SUNSET 2 302 81 SUNSET BL FLETCHER DR SOUTHWEST WEST 2 302 MUSEUM LA BREA AV VINE ST HOLLYWOOD HIGHLAND AV SILVER LAKE NORMANDIE AV WESTERN AV VERMONT AV SAN VICENTE BL 4 704 4 704 603 ALLESANDROGLASSELL ST SANTA MONICA BL LA City VERMONT/ 4 PARK

College SANTA MONICA BL GLENDALE 704 RIVERSIDE DR MELROSE AV MELROSE AV 200 81 HERITAGE SQUARE CANON DR SWEETZER BL SANBORN AV SCOTT ST 14 14 RAMPART BL BEVERLY BL BEVERLY BL HYPERION AV CORONADO ST PUEP HANCOCK VERMONT/ 217 212 207 204 BEVERLY SILVER LAKE BL ALVARADO ST AV MAYCREST 780 312 PARK 757 754 14 W SUNSET 2 BL4 RENO ST 302 704 ECHO 16 316 16 316 16 316 3RD ST 3RD ST PARK UCLA 4 FIGUEROA ST 603 HUNTINGTON DR BEVERLY 704 WILSHIRE/ Dodger BBB1BBB2 VERMONT 200 PUEP 81 78 HILLS WILSHIRE/ 18 ELYSIAN Stadium LINCOLN/CYPRESS 79 BBB8 BBB12 WESTERN ECHO PARK AV PARK AV WESTWOOD WESTLAKE/ TEMPLE ST 378 RIMPAU BL RIMPAU C6 R6 AV ROSSMORE BEVERLY DR BEVERLY ROBERTSON BL BEVERLY GLEN BEVERLY LA CIENEGA BL LA CIENEGA AV FAIRFAX LA BREA AV MACARTHUR PARK 20 14 110 20 720 20 720 20 720 720 WILSHIRE BL WILSHIRE/ 16 316 BEVERLY BL BONSALL AV 45 SAN VICENTE BL NORMANDIE 603 N BROADWAY BARRINGTON AV CENTURY 18 83 204 AV OF THE STARSCITY 212 207 WITMER 84 76 76 BBB1BBB8 4 754 720 3RD ST VALLEY BL BBB12 312 757 KOREATOWN ALHAMBRA 704 26 6TH ST ST DALY BUNDY DR MAIN ST 70 71 78 EL MONTE 66 51 CAL STATE LA WILSHIRE BL 79 378 MARENGO ST 200 52 WILSHIRE BBB8 HAUSER BL REDONDO BL 603 352 10 METRO SILVER LINE EL MONTE SANTA MONICA 14TH ST OLYMPIC BL SAN BERNARDINO FWY BBB12 7TH ST LAC + USC CSULA 720 COTNER AV UNION AV FT FT SILVER STREAK BBB7 30 730 8TH ST CESAR CHAVEZ MED CTR ROSEMEAD WESTWOOD BL BBB7 R7 30 730 MISSION 4TH ST BBB2 R7 PICO BL SEPULVEDA BL PICO/RIMPAU SEE DOWNTOWN 70 770 70 770 2ND ST BBB12 217 PUEP 70 TRANSIT CENTER 33 PICO BL GARVEY AV 780 33 733 704 SANTA MONICA BL SAWTELLE BL INSET VENICE BL 733 1ST ST PICO/ MONTEREY PARK BBB1 CADILLAC AV 200 603 ALISO CITY East LA

260 NEW AV 3RD ST 68 AV RANCHO NATIONAL BL TERRACE Community BBB8 35 335 35 335 770 762

WASHINGTON BL DEL MAR AV

PARK College AV ATLANTIC 770 AV GARFIELD

4TH ST PRACTICES BEST EMERGING ROSEMEAD BL 33 BOYLE AV BBB7 DOZIER ST AV ANITA SANTA BUNDY DR C6 BAGLEY AV 5TH ST BL SAN GABRIEL HOOVER ST HOOVER R7 R6 733 603 MARIACHI PLAZA 68 770 M20 AV GROVE WALNUT VERMONT AV PALMS BL WESTERN AV OVERLANDMOTOR AV AV 6TH ST 18TH ST BBB12 LA BREA AV BL CRENSHAW 23RD COLORADO AV PICO BL BBB1 LINCOLN BL 37 37 200 M40 ADAMS BL SOTO SOTO ST BBB7 SEPULVEDA BL /FAIRFAX 4TH ST 720 Santa C1 207 204 OLYMPIC BL 260

R7 53 18 AV ROWAN Monica OCEAN PARK BL VENICE BL TRANSIT HUB USC MEDNIK AV

4TH ST EASTERN AV M10 757 754 MARAVILLA AV ATLANTIC OCEAN AV INGLEWOOD BL 720 College OCEAN 110 WHITTIER BL 762 ATLANTIC 40 MONTEBELLO BL Santa Monica Pier BBB8 CENTINELA AV JEFFERSON BL M40 PARK 4TH ST 3RD ST M20 BEETHOVEN ST NORMANDIE AV ST FIGUEROA 42 45 EAST LA WASHINGTON BL 37TH ST/USC 740 745 EAST LA CIVIC CENTER M40 M40 MAIN ST WALGROVE AV EXPOSITION BL BEVERLY BL WASHINGTON POPLAR AV PIER AV PALMS CULVER 40 40 18 720 WHITTIER M10 M10 BBB1 CITY 42 42 51 66 WHITTIER BL M L KING JR BL CENTRAL AV SUNSET AV 740 740 52 352 C6 VERNON OLYMPIC PICO RIVERA BL PASSONS 212 LORENA R6 AV GREENWOOD WINDWARD AV VERNON AV VERNON AV MONTEBELLO 312 INDIANA ST ARIZONA AV HERBERT ST C1 CULVER CITY 40 JEFFERSON BL AV ATLANTIC 81 GOODRICH BL 33 TRANSIT CENTER 740 VENICE BL AV GARFIELD MONTEBELLO/ LINCOLN BL HARBOR FWY COMMERCE 733 SLAUSON SLAUSON COMMERCE SLAUSON AV GAGE AV INGLEWOOD CHINATOWN C1 CUDAHY FLOTILLA ST Dodger WASHINGTON BL GAGE AV Stadium MAIN ST SAN PEDRO ST FLORENCE HUNTINGTON PARK VENICE BBB3 40 111 CHINATOWN 111 311 111 311 111 311 NORTH SPRING ST R3 JEFFERSON BL 311 740 FLORENCE AV 53 COLLEGE ST

MANCHESTER LINE SANTA ANA ST SANTA ANA ST DOWNEY SEPULVEDA BL SEPULVEDA

LA BREA AV FIRESTONE VIGNES ST NORTH BROADWAY 115 115 115 115 115 110 ST YALE HILL ST BBB3 MANCHESTER AV INGLEWOOD MANCHESTER AV FIRESTONE BL FIRESTONE BL ELYSIAN PARK AV 2 4 ORD ST R3 TRANSIT CENTER 445 45 302 704 81 90 45 91 94 83 84 SUNSET BL BEAUDRY AV WILCOX AV WILCOX 605 605 68 70 71 LAX CITY CENTURY BL 450X 745 BL AVALON 794

EASTERN AV 78 79 378

HAWTHORNE AV ATLANTIC GARFIELD AV GARFIELD

103RD ST AV LAKEWOOD BUS CENTER 204 754 550 103RD ST DOWNEY 2 4 55 770 STATE ST STATE BBB3 51 BL BEACH LONG 704 728 BROADWAY 60 355 302 2 302 704 83 704 745 C CENTRAL AV 704 733 745 C6 IMPERIAL HWY 52 352 IMPERIAL HWY IMPERIAL HWY CESAR CHAVEZ AV 770 40 42 PATSAOURAS LAX HAWTHORNE SOUTH GATE TRANSIT R3 SILVER PLAZA 110 LOS ANGELES R6 40 68

HOPE ST 733 O UNION STATION INTERNATIONAL GRAND AV 740 740 740 CRENSHAW 120TH ST VERMONT HARBOR FWY AVALON IMPERIAL/ LONG BEACH LAKEWOOD NORWALK NORWALK 2 4 55 68 70 40 METRO SILVER LINE 101 ST FIGUEROA AIRPORT C G G WILMINGTON 60 355 302 740 71 76 740 42 METR ROSECRANS AV LA Cathedral TEMPLE ST 78 79 Federal Building FT SILVER STREAK COMPTON 2 4 10 83 96 30 GARDENA COMPTON BL BELLFLOWERBELLFLOWER 10 92 10 48 92 4 730 730 TEMPLE ST 48 302 378 728 68 30 TEMPLE ST 110 2 4 45 733 770 55 Music 92 40 JANM LITTLE TOKYO/ AVIATION/LAX 60 DWP Center CIVIC 83 84 302 733 42 ARTS DISTRICT CIVIC 730 740 745 City 355 CENTER Hall MOCA MARIPOSA ROSECRANS CENTER 70 71 76 30 40 30 ARTESIA 40 ARTESIA BL 14 14 37 78 79 378 42 68 Walt 770 730 42 HAWTHORNE BL HAWTHORNE CRENSHAW BL CRENSHAW 1ST ST 1ST ST ALAMEDA ST 1ST ST LB51 LB61 Disney 730 EL SEGUNDO EL SEGUNDO 55 55 Concert 2 4 2 4 Japanese EL SEGUNDO BL LB63 60 60 Hall 10 48 30 40 Village 81 83 42 45 Plaza 355 355 E Frequent service DEL AMO 90 91 302 730 83 92 LIN 94 302 740 745 728 733 ROSECRANS AV ER DOUGLAS during peak hours 2ND ST 728 794 733 2ND ST LITTLE

Pacific MAIN ST Stock SPRING ST TOKYO 40 Harbor Transitway Exchange SAN PEDRO ST ARTESIA METRO SILV 740 WARDLOW 16 REDONDO BEACH LB191 14 70 M40 M40 M40 TRANSIT CENTER 316 71 76 CENTRAL AV LONG BEACH BL BEACH LONG ATLANTIC AV ATLANTIC LB21 LAUSD 3RD ST 3RD ST LB192 37 70 78 79 83 92 REDONDO WILLOW ST LB101 LB22 HQ 96 378 MANHATTAN BEACH BL CARSON LB22 LONG 71 76 728 733 733 53 78 79 770 LB102 BL BELLFLOWER BEACH WILLOW 62 96 378 BEACH LB91 LB92 760 770 M40 M40 M40 M40 LB171 BIXEL ST M40 BUNKER HILL 4TH ST 4TH ST PACIFIC COAST HWY BL LAKEWOOD 16 60 PERSHING 16 18 South Bay LB93 LB94 316 LA Center 53 16 18 53 SQUARE 16 18 TOY DISTRICT BEAUDRY AV 53 55 LDWLM LB172 Studios 62 55 62 316 53 55 18 53 Galleria 760 355 720 M40 62 316 62 355 PACIFIC COAST LB173 355 720 62 720 L ST CITY WEST M40 5TH ST 720 5TH ST HIGHWAY 18 60 760 53 55 60 Riordan 83 92 16 18 62 355 760 Central 720 316 720 728 733 733 Cal State 6TH ST M40 Library 16 18 LB45 ANAHEIM ST Good Long Beach 16 18 16 18 53 28 53 18 53 LB45 LB46 Samaritan 316 720 55 62 316 62 316 62 720 SANTA FE AV SANTA

FIGUEROA ST FIGUEROA Hospital ANAHEIM 60 355 720 M40 2 4 2 4 720 6TH ST LB91 LB92 LB93 60 760 6TH ST 7TH ST 760 10 28 30 40 LB94 LB96 20 20 JEWELRY 81 83 42 45 WILMINGTON PACIFIC WILSHIRE BL 90 91 302 730 5TH ST 7TH ST/METRO CENTER DISTRICT 94 302 740 745 728 794 MAIN ST AVALON BL AVALON TRANSIT MALL 1ST ST LB-A SPRING ST 26 28 51 2ND ST 26 51 52 352 52 60 352 760 CHERRY AV OCEAN BL 7TH ST 37 70 71 14 70 71 7TH ST LB-D LB-A 76 78 79 76 78 79 28 33 55 33 55 WILMINGTON BL WILMINGTON Queen 110 96 378 770 96 378 770 83 355 728 92 355 LB-C LONG BEACH LB21 LB-D 733 733 Mary Catalina 38 66 10 38 LB22 38 66 66 66 Landing TRANSIT MALL 8TH ST 81 8TH ST 81 66 2 4 28 33 10 28 10 33 LA 55 83 55 92 48 81 Flower 51 355 728 355 733 Market ER LINE 83 90 733 52 91 94 HILL ST 352 302 728 HOPE ST OLIVE ST GRAND AV BROADWAY FLOWER ST FLOWER 794 FIGUEROA ST FIGUEROA

METRO SILV

METRO SILVER LINE METRO SILVER SAN PEDRO ST 66 CENTRAL AV ST ALAMEDA 66 81 66 10 48 66 66 66 66 81 9TH ST FASHION 9TH ST DISTRICT JAMES M WOOD BL NORTHBOUND SOUTHBOUND Loyola 445, 450X, 445, 450X, Law 550 550 School 28 728 28 728 28 728 OLYMPIC BL 37 70 71 14 70 71 OLYMPIC BL L.A. LIVE 10 33 51 81 81 76 78 79 76 78 79 2 4 83 2 4 48 55 96 378 770 96 378 770 90 91 94 30 40 52 Nokia 83 92 352 302 794 42 45 355 733 Theatre 302 730 740 745 11TH ST or Metro Line Municipal Municipal Rapid Line SOUTH 83 10 33 302 48 55 Limited Line & Stop Bus Line & Stop CHICK HEARN CT STAPLES PARK 794 83 355 Center 733 60 740 M40 R7 12TH ST 81 The service shown on this map 110 PICO Metro Rail Line Metro Orange Line & Station & Station 30 730 30 730 PICO BL PICO BL Metro Silver Line LA Convention & Station Center 37 70 14 70 2 4 2 4 10 Transfers Metro Silver Line 71 76 71 76 83 90 40 42 33 usually runs every 15 minutes 51 Metro& Station Silver Line 78 79 78 79 91 94 45 302 48 96 378 96 378 302 740 745 55 52 Street Stop 770 770 83 352 355 733 10 BBB Santa Monica’s Station HOPE ST 2 4 during daytime hours – and often 33 733 33 733 770 33 302 33 733 733 LAX Shuttle Amtrak Station VENICE BL VENICE BL C G 33 81 770 Figure 27: LA Metro used to 733 LB Greyhound 17TH ST more frequently. 10 M FlyAway

ER LINE 18TH ST

R Santa Monica & 110 Interstate Freeway SAN PEDRO ST 110 GRAND SAN PEDRO FLOWER ST FLOWER GRAND AV OLIVE ST HILL ST BROADWAY MAIN ST Culver CityBus Rapid METRO SILV

134 State Highway or Freeway ST FIGUEROA 35 335 35 335 US Freeway WASHINGTON BL Traffic 40 42 WASHINGTON BL LA Trade Tech Court 45 740 603 745 21ST ST JUN 2010 Subject to Change Subject11-0302 to ©2010 Change LACMTA produce a standalone frequent network map.

Figure 28: A few years ago a volunteer began publishing a frequent network map for Seattle (at right), to supplement the system map published by King County Metro (at left). Not only his focus on frequent services, but also improvements in text, labelling, color and shapes all make the map easier to read.

JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES AC Transit Map Assessment Report | 35 Why does frequency matter so much that the fre- should ask for, and ask about, when considering quent network would be drawn on its own map? their own community’s transit choices. In most places, frequency is the service char- acteristic that has the greatest positive impact There are reasons an agency might hesitate to on travel time and reliability, and therefore on produce a frequent network map. Perhaps, as ridership. in LA, the size of the network is or has become smaller than the agency wishes to advertise. The higher a route’s frequency: Or the agency may not want to emphasize how unevenly frequency is distributed across • the less time you spend waiting the service area – frequent services tend to be • the sooner another bus is coming, if some- concentrated in places where density is higher, thing unfortunate delays your bus activity is higher, and walkability is better, gen- erally in the older core of big urban areas. This

• the faster it is to transfer between services isn’t very noticeable on a map that shows every PRACTICES BEST EMERGING line as the same, but on a frequent network • the more likely it is that you can travel when map it may really jump out, and cause people in you want to travel. low-density suburbs (or anywhere else without The other reason that showing frequency matters frequent transit) to see what they are missing. so much is that it is the service characteristic that The other reasons an agency might hesitate to has no analogy in driving. The effects of speed, show frequency, either on a system map or a reliability, congestion, even crowding can be standalone frequent network map, is if they get understood somewhat by people who mostly hung up on exactly what degree of frequency drive, and they can imagine how they might and span should qualify. Should it be frequent on affect the usefulness of transit. But frequency weekends, as well as weekdays? Does it need to simply does not exist for private motor vehicles. be frequent until 7:00 p.m.? 9:00 p.m.? Midnight? A driving analogy for frequency would be if Is 15-minute frequency really adequate, or someone’s garage door only opened once every should the standard be 12-minutes? 60 minutes, and in order to drive to work, they An overly-forgiving defnition would mean that had to be sitting in the car, keys in hand, ready to the frequent network map (and label) means dash out, when the door opens. The idea that a little, and doesn’t work for the time-sensitive trip cannot begin until an event that is controlled rider. An overly strict defnition might mean that by other people allows it to begin is hard to very few lines qualify. imagine for someone who has never made transit part of their regular life. We would advise an agency to simply start where they are. Defne the frequent network in For this reason, people who don’t use transit a way that is reasonable for the current system, tend to evaluate transit proposals with far too and advertise it clearly and honestly. Show it much focus on speed, right-of-way, and vehicle to the public, and meanwhile, set long-term type (which all have parallels in car-commuting) goals for the standard of service that the label and far too little focus on the frequency of represents. service the agency will be able to operate. This is a very good reason, though a rarely con- It may be that producing a separate frequent templated one, to make frequency visible to network map is only an interim best practice, and the public. Doing so teaches a large number that the ultimate best practice in this regard is for of people – riders and non-riders alike – what the frequent network to be so plainly legible in makes transit useful, and therefore what they the system map that no separate map is needed.

JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES AC Transit Map Assessment Report | 36 and of New York City were reduced to simple Design choices 90- and 45-degree angles. Even the land masses Geographic vs. diagrammatic were broadly represented this way. When drawing a map of a transit system, one The original inventor of this style was actu- of the frst choices the designer must make is ally Harry Beck, in a 1933 map of the London how closely to adhere to the real geography of Underground that continues to inform Transport the service area. Simplifying that geography, by for London’s mapping style. The style is now adjusting area sizes and distances, can improve commonly used in many rail transit systems clarity and can also help ft the map within a around the world. (And now agencies like LA desired shape or size page (Santa Monica’s map, Metro are using it to convey the rail-like attri- shown in Figure 18 on page 24, shortens the butes of their BRT services! See Figure 12 on distance between east and west to accomplish page 17.)

this). PRACTICES BEST EMERGING Doing away with details like the relative distance One of the most famous transit maps of the 20th of different subway stations, or any information century, Massimo Vignelli’s 1972 map of the about the land around them, vastly simplifed New York Subway (shown in Figure 28), created the look of the subway network, but sacrifced a trope that persists among transit maps to this other purposes. For one, the map was not useful day: the geographical contours of the system for estimating walking distance, so a person dealing with a service inter- ruption couldn’t use it to decide whether to walk to another station. (In response to this, Transport for London recently created a “Walk the Tube” map, showing walking distances between each station pair.) The map also did not give an accurate sense of travel time on the subways.

Figure 29: Massimo Vignelli, and before him Harry Beck, designed subway maps that discarded geographic accuracy in favor of diagrammatic clarity.

JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES AC Transit Map Assessment Report | 37 Vignelli’s transit map has been one of the most the routing of D2 (which is revealed to be very infuential in the United States. In New York, wiggly, by the yellow line in the geographic map though, it lasted only until 1978, when a more at right); only an approximate shape has been geographically accurate rendering was intro- shown (at left), and the size and distance of each duced after customer complaints. Since then, segment have been adjusted for greater clarity however, redesigns of the New York map have by increasing the separation between the route continued to balance geographic accuracy and nearby features. In places, this could poten- with schematization and even intentional dis- tially give someone a mis-impression of walking tortion. Some distortions are no longer even distance between routes D2 and D5, or other controversial. For example, all New York transit potential connections. maps, including Vignelli’s original version, show Manhattan to be much wider than it actually is, Another common and subtle application simply because the transit system is so intense of diagrammatic design, rather than geo- there and needs extra room to be clearly shown. graphic design, is to condense routes running PRACTICES BEST EMERGING on one-way couplets into a single line. This Different maps turn geography into a diagram improves the clarity of the map, makes the map to different extents. For example, on WMATA’s a less-accurate aid for walking to service, espe- map substantial simplifcation has rendered many cially for visitors who don’t know a city’s one-way routes at 30, 45, 60 or 90 degree angles. couplets well.

The images in Figure 30 compare an excerpt of WMATA’s diagrammatic map (on the left) to the actual paths of the routes (on the right, as shown by Remix).

Note the straight path drawn for routes D5 and D6 along the river, at left in Figure 30. A more geographic map, at right, reveals that these routes in fact follow a somewhat wiggly path. This type of simplifcation is also evident in

Figure 30: WMATA’s new diagrammatic map of DC transit service (at left) simplifes curves, loops and angles, and changes distances, compared to the geographically accurate transit routings (at right).

JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES AC Transit Map Assessment Report | 38 EMERGING BEST PRACTICES BEST EMERGING

Figure 31: Miami-Dade Transit’s system map shows certain details very fnely, such as transit routing and coastlines. Figure 32: Between 2011 and 2015, TransLink Many transit maps show an extremely accurate smoothed and simplifed transit routing, water image of the geography and network. Consider boundaries and park boundaries. Miami-Dade Transit’s map, which includes a detailed shoreline, where every canal, dock and simplifying the shapes on its maps. Figure 32 inlet is visible. This map also includes details of shows the same section of the map, in 2011 (top) the transit information that are not useful for and 2015 (below). Features like coastlines, the many passengers, such as end-of-line turnaround boundaries of parks, and route lines are all more loops and circulation within large parking lots. precise in 2011 and more smooth and approxi- mate in 2015. TransLink’s transit map shows all transit routes with correct proportionate distances. However, This has the effect of reducing detail and noise the agency recently began smoothing and in the background of the map, and allowing the

JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES AC Transit Map Assessment Report | 39 information that is most important to the great- streets should probably not be shown at all, est number of people - the transit routes - to unless they lead to a major destination. dominate. Many Bay Area maps handle roads in the same To be an effective way fnding tool, or tool way: there is no hierarchy, so all roads are shown for gaining network awareness, a transit map with the same line weight. Some are labeled, but must depict geography accurately enough so there is no way for someone unfamiliar with a that people can orient themselves, and also particular area to tell from the transit map which show clearly the shape and usefulness of the roads are major, and which are just neighbor- transit network. Vignelli’s map focused to such hood streets. We know that some streets are a great extent on the second that it completely relevant to large numbers of people, for large neglected the frst; the result was an iconic numbers of trips, while others are relevant to diagram that helped you navigate inside the only small numbers of people. (The extreme subway system but left people confused about example is the tiny cul de sac, which is relevant PRACTICES BEST EMERGING how the subway related to the geography of the only to the dozen people who live there.) The city. presentation of streets in a transit basemap should refect these differences in relevance. Miami’s map, and in some ways AC Transit’s current map, are so focused on geographic WATER, PARKS accuracy that network clarity is lost. These maps Among many recently designed transit maps, work better as walking maps than as tools for the emerging best practice is to carefully select network awareness or for discovery of the transit base map features so that major geographic system. A successful transit map will strike a landmarks, like large parks or rivers, are present, balance between the two; the correct balance but minor features that will be useful to small will depend on the purposes of the map. numbers of people are shown subtly, if at all. This choice helps to oriented users to the large- scale shape of the city – of which water and large Secondary information greenspaces are a part – without losing them in Careful thought should be put into how much detail. This is a process of simplifcation similar to secondary geographic information (roads, water, the one shown in TransLink’s maps, in Figure 32. parks, points of interest) is presented, and how it is presented. It creates a solid base for orienta- TriMet made a similar shift in its map design. tion, but should not distract from the focus on Prior to 2015, every small park was shown. These transit awareness or transit travel. numerous parks collided with place labels, route

ROADS labels, lines, and other features. The 2015 TriMet Streets and roads used by transit are a critical map shows only the largest parks and greens- feature of a transit map, since they are almost paces, and creates much more open visual always where transit operates, and they help to space in which more relevant information can relate the transit service to the known geography dominate. of the city. POINTS OF INTEREST The other common feature present on transit A hugely detailed street map, however, can be maps is points of interest: certain places that a distraction. The emerging best practice is to the map designers believe are important to the focus reader attention on primary and secondary transit system. These often include major civic arterials, and minimize or remove small residen- institutions, such as universities or city halls, as tial streets. Small streets can be shown with a well as schools, airports, or hospitals. fner line weight, or omitted entirely. Dead end

JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES AC Transit Map Assessment Report | 40 Points of interest can be thought of as serving accessible, it is a simple matter to visualize the two purposes. The frst is to show somebody shapefles of a transit agency’s routes, but it is a trying to plan a trip exactly where on the map challenge to render them clearly. The task of the they are going. The second is to provide a cartographer is to take the collection of undiffer- general set of locational references everyone is entiated, overlapping shapes and arrange them likely to be familiar with, so that people can use to accomplish these goals. them as an approximate destination or for orien- tation when looking at the map. In large part, this cartographic task can be thought of as revealing useful patterns of service, With that in mind, points of interest should be and avoiding an impression of sheer complexity. selected that are either a) important destinations accessible from the transit system or b) major city landmarks, and which are of interest to many Trip Planning Tools people throughout the day. They should be Google Maps transit planning is nearly ubiq- PRACTICES BEST EMERGING symbolized in a way that prevents them from dis- uitous in U.S. cities, and third-party apps are tracting from the transit services - their symbols quickly catching up. The biggest question about and labels should always be less prominent the usefulness of trip planners today is whether than those of the transit lines, transit centers or they use real-time, rather than scheduled, service stations. data.

One common danger in selecting points of inter- All of the peer agencies we surveyed host trip est is to inadvertently signal that transit is only planners on their websites, either their own trip useful for people with severe needs. Featuring planners or third-party planners. the Social Security offce, the Immigration offce, Whether a trip planning app is under the agen- workshops for developmentally disabled people, cy’s control or a third-party seems to matter little public health clinics, and the jail is considerate of to customers as long as they can easily fnd a those people who need to access those services, good trip planner. Google Maps integrates trip but it can also send an unhelpful signal to the planning with interactive transit maps, in many larger population about who transit is useful cities, which may outpace projects like TriMet’s for, especially if these points of interest domi- and Minneapolis Metro’s interactive maps. nate the map. The selection of points of interest should convey a diversity of interests and uses, If trip planning apps are best provided by the for a diversity of people, to avoid giving this private sector (and thus far they seem to be), it mis-impression. means that big agencies in big cities will prob- ably get the latest innovations in trip planning WMATA sometimes wrestles with how many much faster than small agencies in small towns. points of interest to show on DC transit maps. This is because the potential market for their Foreign embassies, in particular, each have their use is bigger in big cities, where transit is much own vocal and impassioned constituency, who more relevant than in small cities, and the private hope to see themselves on the map. Similar sector will respond to the market. (This is the issues arrive with houses of worship, neighbor- same reason Uber has been in California for a hoods and cultural institutions. long time, but won’t get to North Dakota for a HANDING COMPLEXITY (AGAIN) while yet.) Because AC Transit is in such a big The most important element of a transit map, state and big metro area, it should beneft from and the most numerous feature type, should be the eagerness of private app developers to the lines representing transit routes. Now that continually innovate and improve transit-related GIS and map design tools are so widespread and products.

JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES AC Transit Map Assessment Report | 41 Agency role in ecosystem line, only real time trip planners will immediately When we surveyed members of the public about tell customers to route their trip a different way, which apps or mobile websites people consult or to postpone their trip, etc., reducing pressure when planning a trip, Google Maps was the on the disruption. most common response, and other third-party Real time info already helps people adjust their apps commanded not-insignifcant shares of the plans even after a trip has begun. Someone market as well. These technologies are often standing on ’s Market Street, next easier to use and more available than transit to a Muni station, might be asking: Should I go agency products. into the subway, or take the F streetcar that I see This suggests that while many transit agencies coming in the distance, or just walk? offer their own internally-developed trip planner, Muni’s real-time information will answer that they also play a crucial role in enabling the question quickly, by telling them: development of trip planning apps by the private PRACTICES BEST EMERGING sector. • how soon a train will come underground, and The most important action an agency can take to improve the availability and quality of trip • how fast that streetcar normally (according planning is to rigorously maintain their GTFS and to its schedule) travels, and real-time location data in such a way that devel- opers always have access to the most accurate • how long it will take them to walk. and up-to-date information. AC Transit, along Even when someone is planning a trip that they with most other large transit agencies, are doing are about to make, though, real time info gives so. them a higher level of certainty that the trip will go off as described, which in turn means they are Real-time data more likely to trust it. Real-time data has a key role in trip planning. It is not relevant when customer is considering their Most of the agencies reviewed provided real options days in advance, or exploring hypotheti- time data in such a way that third party apps cal travel times, so the real time element of a trip could integrate it into recommended trips. Not planner needs to be user-enabled or disabled. all of the agencies’ own online trip planners But people also make travel decisions in the provided this utility, including large sophisticated moment. agencies like AC Transit and TriMet.

Using real-time data, trip planners can help customers make good decisions right then. Just as motorists use the traffc layer of online maps to select a path that will be fastest in the current situation, transit directions and maps are stron- ger if they help the customer fgure out how to travel based on actual, rather than scheduled, times.

This functionality is also useful to the agency in managing disruptions, which is why Caltrans puts so much effort into this information for motorists. If a disruption has shut down service on a key

JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES AC Transit Map Assessment Report | 42 There is some debate at present about the usefulness of information about transit vehicles’ geographic locations (using visualization services like TransLoc, as shown in Figure 33), as opposed to their estimated arrival time.

The case for showing the location is simple: this is a fact, while arrival time is a prediction. An experienced customer’s prediction may be better than agency’s prediction, depending on the quality of the agency’s schedules and real- time model.

On the other hand, location does not give the EMERGING BEST PRACTICES BEST EMERGING less experienced (or less-geographically-inclined) customer enough information to know how many minutes they will wait. For these people, the more useful information is the predicted arrival time, because it accounts for not only Figure 33: Some real-time data services (like the geographic location of the bus, but also the TransLoc, here shown for the Yale shuttle expected travel speed between the bus and the system) include interactive maps that show waiting customer. both predicted arrival times and physical bus For these reasons, current best practice is to give locations. both types of information - the real time loca- tions of transit vehicles, and the predicted arrival times based on those locations.

JARRETT WALKER + ASSOCIATES AC Transit Map Assessment Report | 43