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transitmaps:

Topology versus Geography in Transit Maps

Here’s a nice little animated diagram from Fathom Information Design that compares the two polar opposites of transit mapping using Boston’s MBTA rail network as an example. Click through to play around with it, and see the benefits and drawbacks of the two approaches. It’s also super fun to watch the map morph between the two styles.

In real life, most transit maps fall somewhere between these two extremes: very few use such a strict topological grid, and completely geographically accurate maps are also very rarely used for this purpose — even the New York subway map has a certain level of simplification and abstraction.

transitmaps:

Unofficial Historical Map: An Animated History of the MBTA

This is something you just have to look at: an amazing animated timeline of the Boston MBTA Subway over at Andrew Lynch’s Vanshnookenraggen blog (check out his future MBTA maps while you’re there).

To my mind, this work is far superior to the animated history of the New York Subway map that was floating around the interwebs a little while back: it’s clearly dated on the map, it’s fully annotated, and even has a slide show version below the animated GIF so you can flick through the years at your own pace. What’s fascinating to me is the almost complete reinvention of transit in Boston as the original elevated lines get torn down and replaced by subway.

An amazing work, and fully worthy of a 5 star rating. I’m not going to steal Andrew’s thunder by posting the full GIF here: click on the image or here to visit his site and watch the years roll by!

Lynch’s futureMBTA site has long been a favorite of mine.  Now this.  slowclap.

Click through to see how the T has grown and evolved over the last 110 years.