Webb – NEW YORKS NEW SUBWAY MAP 1980

Description

New York’s subway map has long challenged cartographers since the 1930s. Massimo Vignelli’s abstract, topological map (1978) drew public ire because riders found it hard to use—leading to confusion, missed trains and circuitous journeys. In 1977 the MTA convened a 13‑member committee; designer John Taurenac became the driving force behind its redesign. Confronting multiple line names and the need to show express vs. local, full vs. partial service, and transfer points, Taurenac rejected a schematic approach in favor of accurate geography and clearer graphics. His map adds a street grid, parks, borough outlines, and single‑color trunk lines augmented by symbols—Taurenac’s “whats‑its” (circles, diamonds, knobs)—to indicate service irregularities and stop types, with an explicit key. The result better matches New Yorkers’ mental image of the city and aids tourists, though signage and platform displays still lag and the system remains complex in practice.