New York City has received a new, refreshed underground map – the first since 1979. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has officially unveiled a redesigned version of the iconic plan to meet the needs of today’s passengers. While the new map has many merits, there is no shortage of criticism. Some residents say it is a “waste of money” and “not for New Yorkers”, and that the new design is unintuitive.
The new map, prepared by the MTA’s Creative Services Mapping department, combines elements of the classic style with a modern approach to legibility and accessibility. Maintained in a diagrammatic style, it uses simple bold lines, contrasting colours, horizontal text and black dots to denote stations. All this is designed to make orientation easier, including for people with visual or cognitive problems.
“The MTA is focused on a quality passenger experience in the 21st century and it’s time for the map to reflect that,” – janno Lieber, chairman and CEO of the MTA, said. “The current version is much more readable and captures all the improvements we have made over the years.”
The unveiling of the new version. Photo: Metropolitan Transportation Authority, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The revamped map includes not only route information, but also details on accessibility, transfer options and safety. A QR code has even been added that leads directly to the MTA website, where up-to-date information on train runs can be found. The map can already be seen on digital screens in stations and will also soon be on the new R211 carriages. The physical versions in older trainsets will be replaced in stages over the coming weeks. Also new are stickers informing passengers which side of the screen has information and which side has advertising. The screens update every five seconds to make it easier to keep track of oncoming trains.
The designers took inspiration from earlier maps, keeping the colours from the 1979 and 1998 versions and the diagrammatic aesthetic pioneered in Vignelli’s 1972 map. Despite the efforts of the creative team, however, passenger opinions are divided. Some criticise the new map as “too complicated” and “an unnecessary expense”. New Yorkers insist that they do not need such a detailed map because they know the underground system almost by heart anyway.
“I hope that’s not what the next ticket increases are going for. Was this really necessary?” – commented one resident.
What’s more controversial is the graphical representation of the neighbourhoods, which now take simplified, geometric forms instead of the faithful topographical representations of previous versions.
The new map is just one part of an extensive overhaul of New York’s underground system, alongside the construction of new stations, signalling upgrades, the introduction of a new payment system and technological improvements. The MTA plans to celebrate the new design throughout 2025, and on its website it is enabling downloads of both the new and older versions of the map. Time will tell whether the changes will prove to be a worthwhile investment in the future of urban transport.
Source: MTA, nypost.com
See also: United States | New York | Graphics | Public transport | Interesting facts
Map of the underground before and after the upgrade. Photo by MTA
