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NYC New Subway Map

nytimes.com

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Re: NYC New Subway Map

#41

Post by altairprime »

llsf wrote: post #34

No skin in the game. Looking at the old one https://www.mta.info/map/36946 vs. the new one https://www.mta.info/map/5256 , and not being a New Yorker, I would prefer the old map as it allows me to appreciate the distances and contextualize more. But I can see a New Yorker preferring the new map to get just the subway lines and connections.

I think they both deserve to exist, and need to. The one map is invaluable when I’m navigating somewhere specific by my own hand; the other map is critical to comprehend the system and how the different lines parallel and overlap.

Re: NYC New Subway Map

#42

Post by addaon »

NoToP wrote: post #40
addaon wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is an MTA map, not a general “transit” map. Having the AirTrain on it is a bit of a bonus, but probably reflects (a) it being the most common question MTA gets and (b) it being more integrated with the rest of the MTA system than PATH (use of metrocard, etc).

You can in fact use MetroCard on PATH though.

Today I learned. Shows how often I go to Jersey. Thank you.

Re: NYC New Subway Map

#43

Post by altairprime »

vrosas wrote: post #31
easterncalculus wrote: post #13

Maps are to be read. If you want a subway map to frame for your apartment, then the current/old one looks nice, but the new one is just easier to read - particularly in a moving subway car, through a dirty pane, and from 3 feet away. Especially in the age of smartphones, if you're doing navigation on a train (or station) you likely don't have a phone or are already lost, the map should be optimized to be easy to read…

The best advice I got before moving to NYC was to download a PDF of the subway map to Books on my phone. That has saved me countless times.

Also good advice for college campuses! It can handle their 35MB detailed PDfs perfectly well.

Re: NYC New Subway Map

#45

Post by vlmutolo »

vrosas wrote: post #31
easterncalculus wrote: post #13

Maps are to be read. If you want a subway map to frame for your apartment, then the current/old one looks nice, but the new one is just easier to read - particularly in a moving subway car, through a dirty pane, and from 3 feet away. Especially in the age of smartphones, if you're doing navigation on a train (or station) you likely don't have a phone or are already lost, the map should be optimized to be easy to read…

The best advice I got before moving to NYC was to download a PDF of the subway map to Books on my phone. That has saved me countless times.

The Underway app is basically an interactive version of this (NYC-specific). It’s just the transit map, but you can click on stations to see current arrival/departure times (“3min”) and MTA notices for lines going through that station.

Re: NYC New Subway Map

#46

Post by RadiozRadioz »

That might work for other metros, but the New York Subway is the New York Subway. It is how it is. The old style of map works within New York culture for a variety of complicated reasons that nobody fully understands, but we all know it's how it's supposed to be.

Re: NYC New Subway Map

#47

Post by TimK65 »

addaon wrote: post #26
JCM9 wrote: post #20

The map still amusingly mostly pretends that New Jersey and transit running into New Jersey doesn’t exist. For example, the PATH is very faintly represented but yet the JFK AirTrain (which isn’t part of the subway and the airport isn’t run by the MTA) is given more prominent status. PATH is owned by the same entity (PANYNJ) that owns the AirTrain but is nearly hidden on the map because it goes to New Jersey. Back whe…

This is an MTA map, not a general “transit” map. Having the AirTrain on it is a bit of a bonus, but probably reflects (a) it being the most common question MTA gets and (b) it being more integrated with the rest of the MTA system than PATH (use of metrocard, etc).

What is this "metrocard" of which you speak?

(It's going away at the end of this year.)

Re: NYC New Subway Map

#48

Post by TimK65 »

jszymborski wrote: post #4

The map of the Montreal metro (which is in fairness _way_ smaller) that you are most likely to see is also diagrammatic [0], but every station has a much more detailed geographic map, which includes bus stops etc... [1] I think having both around is a good balance. [0] https://www.stm.info/sites/default/files/media/Stminfo/image... [1] https://www.stm.info/sites/default/files/media/Stminfo/image...

This was Vignelli's original plan, which the MTA never followed through on.

Re: NYC New Subway Map

#49

Post by TimK65 »

wan23 wrote: post #38
llsf wrote: post #34

No skin in the game. Looking at the old one https://www.mta.info/map/36946 vs. the new one https://www.mta.info/map/5256 , and not being a New Yorker, I would prefer the old map as it allows me to appreciate the distances and contextualize more. But I can see a New Yorker preferring the new map to get just the subway lines and connections.

Compare the subway map with a real map of New York and you'll find that it leads you to all kinds of wrong ideas about directions, distances and relative positions of things.

It's a diagram, not a map.

The old "map" isn't geographically accurate, either.

Re: NYC New Subway Map

#50

Post by jinushaun »

llsf wrote: post #34

No skin in the game. Looking at the old one https://www.mta.info/map/36946 vs. the new one https://www.mta.info/map/5256 , and not being a New Yorker, I would prefer the old map as it allows me to appreciate the distances and contextualize more. But I can see a New Yorker preferring the new map to get just the subway lines and connections.

I prefer the old map and I would argue it’s better. The old geographically accurate map is better for tourists, but the streamlined map is easier for locals to read.

IMO, locals don’t really look at transit maps since they have them memorized and only travel the same few lines regularly.

It’s tourists that are unfamiliar with the lines that need to read these maps. They also want to know the distance between stations.

So it becomes the question: who is the transit map made for?

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