Transit Maps
@transitmap.net
A celebration of transit maps and diagrams from around the world. Visit the blog at transitmap.net. 🔁 Reposts appreciated! Transit map prints sold at: transitmap.net/store Transit mappers starter pack: https://go.bsky.app/32jXV41
Behold, the smallest MBTA subway map I could make, a whopping 275 by 177 pixels including the border! The only way it could possibly be smaller is using a four-point font instead of a five-point font, or if they close some Green Line stations. I am challenging anyone else to make such a compact map.
New on the blog! A lovely unofficial diagram that's been made official of transit in İzmir, Türkiye by Evgeny Katyshev.
New Official Map: İzmir Metro, Türkiye by Evgeny Katyshev
Submitted by Evgeny, who simply says: The new map of Izmir rapid transit I designed has been adopted as official one. Transit Maps says: Congratulations on this lovely little diagram becoming "official," Evgeny! There's a lot to like about it, especially the intelligent use of a 30-degree grid to match the real-world geography of İzmir nicely, which also helps in setting all the labels horizontally without them running into each other.
transitmap.net
Still one of my favourite prints in the Transit Maps store – Travel Time by Rail, France, 1882. transitmap.net/store/produc...
New on the blog! A lovely unofficial diagram that's been made official of transit in İzmir, Türkiye by Evgeny Katyshev.
New Official Map: İzmir Metro, Türkiye by Evgeny Katyshev
Submitted by Evgeny, who simply says: The new map of Izmir rapid transit I designed has been adopted as official one. Transit Maps says: Congratulations on this lovely little diagram becoming "official," Evgeny! There's a lot to like about it, especially the intelligent use of a 30-degree grid to match the real-world geography of İzmir nicely, which also helps in setting all the labels horizontally without them running into each other.
transitmap.net
Still one of my favourite prints in the Transit Maps store – Travel Time by Rail, France, 1882. transitmap.net/store/produc...
Thoughts on a trend I'm seeing a lot on streetcar-related Facebook groups: someone posts an old photo of a streetcar, and then someone else uses AI to add color to it. It seems harmless, until you realize some wider implications. (A thread)
Another in a long line of "highly implausible subway network layouts" when it comes to movie props. It'll look good in the background of shots and that's all it's really designed to do.
Superman Homepage@supermanhomepage.bsky.social · 2mo agoNew #ManofTomorrow Set Photos Reveal #Metropolis Coming to Life: www.supermanhomepage.com/new-man-of-t...
As yesterday saw the very last scheduled in service run of an original Tyne & Wear Metrocar - some earlier publicity. The March 1983 Metro Pocket service guide; lines still terminating at Heworth prior to the Metro extension to South Shields. This is the classic Metro diagram @transitmap.net
While at first glance this looks like spec work disguised as a competition (which I am not in favour of), there are two very good clauses in the rules: 1) The winner gets paid to transfer their rights to NS 2) The contest will not replace commercial work from design agencies Good work, NS!
Simon@simon514.bsky.social · 2mo ago@transitmap.net NS is organising a competition to find the best map of their system with newly introduced route numbers!! Unfortunately you have to live in the Netherlands 😭😭
A beautiful new print in the Transit Maps store – Chicago Rapid Transit Lines, c. 1936. The colors in this are just gorgeous: check out the Loop! transitmap.net/store/produc...
A beautiful new print in the Transit Maps store – Chicago Rapid Transit Lines, c. 1936. The colors in this are just gorgeous: check out the Loop! transitmap.net/store/produc...
If you want to get people excited for your transformative rail project, a dull and boring map that looks like it was designed in 1985 is really NOT the way to do it.
𝚃𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚜 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚎 🚇@taras-grescoe.com · 2mo agoGetting serious amateur-hour vibes from #Alberta government's Rail Passenger Master Plan initiative. They're talking about high-speed rail, which will cost tens of billions to build. Yet their investment over the next 3 years is $15 million. The cartography alone... www.alberta.ca/passenger-rail
New on the blog! A charming illustrative map showing the vast extent of electric interurbans out of Chicago, c. 1921.
Historical Map: Interurban Railways Around Chicago, c. 1921
A lovely map of the electric interurban lines radiating out from Chicago "over hill and valley, by lake and stream," compiled by the Chicago Evening Standard newspaper. The source I obtained this map from tentatively dates it to 1921; perhaps people with more familiarity with the history of the railways represented would be able to verify this better than I can.
transitmap.net
New on the blog! A charming illustrative map showing the vast extent of electric interurbans out of Chicago, c. 1921.
Historical Map: Interurban Railways Around Chicago, c. 1921
A lovely map of the electric interurban lines radiating out from Chicago "over hill and valley, by lake and stream," compiled by the Chicago Evening Standard newspaper. The source I obtained this map from tentatively dates it to 1921; perhaps people with more familiarity with the history of the railways represented would be able to verify this better than I can.
transitmap.net
The cover to the June 1932 PRT Route Guide issued by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company with a modernist view of PRT's elevated, streetcar/tram, bus, taxi & limo services against a soaring cityscape. It is by artist Geo. T. Lloyd. #transportation #philadelphia #1930s ↘️ flic.kr/p/2seBzUz
It's still not amazing, but this is definitely a much-improved effort compared to the previous mess.
Zander🚈🔰@kohiwonomu.bsky.social · 3mo agoGreat news for those of us such as myself and @transitmap.net - DART has a new rail diagram, straightening out some of the kinks (literally) on the Silver, Orange, and Green lines that bugged us so much dartorgcmsblob.dart.org/prod/docs/de...
Oh my word – this is stunning! (And absolutely needs to be preserved properly for future generations)
Patrick Anderson@waveelection.bsky.social · 6mo agoWhether or not you think a PVD subway was a good idea - this map in the city archives is a piece of history and work of art. It needs restoration. When we unrolled it the paper began to crack. @brown.edu @risd1877.bsky.social @risecstate.bsky.social www.providencejournal.com/story/news/p...
I really wish the Fleet Line name had been kept instead of pandering to royalty – it works on multiple levels (approximating the course of the old river of that name; "fleet" = fast) and it just sounds way cool.
Mike@mikeyashworth.bsky.social · 4mo agoWhat might have been : The proposed Fleet line 1971 : In the book describing the newly opened Brixton extension of the Victoria line, London Transport was keen to extend the Bakerloo line east; the Fleet line. After much swapping & changing beyond Green Park the Jubilee line opened in 1999.
I'm on TV! FOX 12 Oregon asked me to contribute to a story on Portland's streetcar history a while back and it finally aired this morning. They did a great job with their old/new transitions! www.kptv.com/2026/03/24/p...
Portland Streetcar expansion echoes city’s transit history
In 2028, the Portland Bureau of Transportation will begin a project to expand the Portland Streetcar system.
kptv.com
Today’s multimodal SF adventure - early morning cable car ride to avoid the hordes, 10 mile walk over the Golden Gate Bridge and back, 28 bus back to Fisherman’s Wharf, F line to Market & Church, J line to Mission Dolores Park (so sunny!) and then back to the start at Powell. What a day!
Riding in to San Francisco on BART for the first time in a long time. The new cars are nice, the robot voice announcing stops is weird, and the warning chime for the doors is to the point but not very memorable.
New additions to the print store – four amazing new maps in @pinakographos.bsky.social's "Rivers of North America" series – the Mississippi and Colorado watersheds, and Northern California and Southern New England. transitmap.net/store/produc...
New additions to the print store – four amazing new maps in @pinakographos.bsky.social's "Rivers of North America" series – the Mississippi and Colorado watersheds, and Northern California and Southern New England. transitmap.net/store/produc...
Where are my transit people - anyone know more about this old subway/train map on the floor of Grand Central? It looks so cool but the full thing didn’t appear to withstand updates to flooring over the years. I saw it out of the corner of my eye in a tucked away corner near the food concourse.
It took two years (with other projects in between) but I've finished 44,703 stitches of DMC 162 — Very Light Blue that make up all the waterways on my 20-inch wide cross stitch map of the NYC subway system. If I never touch another skein of 162 again it'll be too soon
Yep, that's better already. One thought: there's perhaps an argument to be made that something this diagrammatic doesn't need the dog-leg in the Ellenbrook line, which seems very fussy in comparison to the straight trajectories of all the other lines.
Theodoræ Ditsek@theoditsek.bsky.social · 7mo agoWe may have made an executive decision with this one. We’ll see how it turns out, I guess.
New on the blog! The official diagram of Transperth rail services has a lot of problems, but here's the two big ones:
Submission – Official Map: Transperth Rail Diagram, 2026
Submitted by Noah, who says: I would appreciate a review of the updated system map for Transperth. Transit Maps says: This dates from October 2025, when the Armadale line was extended one station to Byford. Again, this is one of those diagrams that gets the job done, but absolutely lacks any finesse and craft. There's a whole litany of problems here — angled labels when there's plenty of room for them to be horizontal, inconsistent corner radii, a river that just ends (where's the West Australian coast?), icons that are visually too similar to each other, etc.
transitmap.net
Welcome to all! If you’re looking for people to follow, here are some great voices on transit, active transport, cities… 🧵 go.bsky.app/U4hN8P9
