The Evolution of the NYC Subway Map

This is a story of the last two versions of the New York City Subway map, but it's also a story of why the Internet is wonderful.

Back in January, I wrote an ever-so-brief appreciation for the Massimo Vignelli Subway map of 1972.



Then I heard from Michael Hertz, who designed the next version of the subway map in 1976, and who designs the subway map in New York to this day.

The map I created to succeed his, working for MTA's Map Committee, did not approach that level of graphic beauty, but did, on the other hand, provide the traveler with many more cues to where they are related to destinations above-ground, where they would ultimately wind up.

Aside from actual destinations, we attempted to portray the city in a more familiar context for all travelers. Showing parks and bodies of water (in familiar colors), neighborhood names, ferry connections, large cemeteries, and an abridged street grid, we hoped to engender some feeling of trust in our map. Vignelli's map showed a city that wasn't at all like his pristine 'diagram'. If you remember the seventies then you'll remember that there was a lot of street crime, dirty stations and trains, and a feeling among riders that if they had to use the subways at all, they wanted their journey to be as expeditious as possible and an assurance that they were as close as possible to where they wanted to be when they exited the station,.