Lloyd – DIAGRAMMATIC MAPS OF THE NEW YORK SUBWAY 2010

Description

This paper traces the evolution of New York City’s official subway map from 1958 to 2011, using primary sources and interviews. It identifies five major designs: Salomon’s first diagrammatic, trunk-and-branch map (1958); D’Adamo’s route-coloured map tied to the Chrystie Street connection (1967); Vignelli’s minimalist diagram (1972–78); Tauranac’s topographic, trunk-coloured map (1979–2011); and the Waterhouse–Cifuentes digital diagram reintroduced in 2011 for service advisories. Shifts were driven by pragmatic needs—cutting costs and centralizing map production, accommodating network interworking, corporate rebranding after creation of the MTA, and marketing goals—plus individual designers’ preferences. The Vignelli map’s short official tenure contrasts with London’s enduring Beck diagram, but its later revival shows diagrammatic maps’ specific advantage: visually indicating route-level disruptions. The paper argues there is no single narrative; each change solved particular problems and reflected trade-offs between clarity, geography, and operational communication.