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 New York 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 BROADWAY COLORADO 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 CALIFORNIA 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 VERMONT/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 STARS CITY 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 El Monte Busway 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 SILVER STREAK 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 LOS ANGELES INSET VENICE BL 733 1ST ST PICO/ MONTEREY PARK BBB1 CADILLAC AV 200 603 ALISO CITY East LA 260 NEW AV 3RD ST 68 ARIZONA 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 WASHINGTON/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 INDIANA 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 DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES 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