Transit Maps

I'm strangely hungry all of a sudden...

Berlin - Blickpunkt der Welt : BVG Verkehrsführer : Berlin transport guide : Berliner Verkehrs - Betrieben : nd [c.1950] : cover. A German language guide to the major streets and sights of Berlin along with a list of the city's tram, bus and underground (U-Bahn) routes. A small folder it includes various fold out pages that show in maps the BVG-West's combined tram, bus and U-Bahn routes along with a plan of the excursions possible by BVG services to Grunewald and the Havel. Not dated the folder already shows the growing post-war division between east and west Berlin although this does show the continued extension of a few tram routes into the eastern sector before public transport routes were wholly curtailed within sectors and before the Berlin Wall was constructed. West Berlin, unlike the East, was to abandon its extensive tramway network in the 1960s and this list shows the 21 tram still running and it was abandoned, replaced by bus A24, in 1953 so the folder pre-dates this date. I have also seen a later 1954 edition with a more modern example of Berlin's famous double deck buses on the cover so this with the older style is likely to predate this. The cover "Berlin - the focus of the world", is by Maty and the version of the U-Bahnnetz plan on the back cover is by Tesch of the BVG. The cover shows in the background a globe, with Berlin, marked set against the city's Radio Tower - Funkturm - and a U-Bahn entrance. Highlighted in its yellow livery is one of the city's double deck bus.

Berlin - Blickpunkt der Welt : BVG Verkehrsführer : Berlin transport guide : Berliner Verkehrs - Betrieben : nd [c.1950] : U-Bahnnetz und Linien. This shows the map with the lines using the older nomenclature of A I, A II, A III, B I, B II, C I, C II, D and E shown in red, green, dark blue hatching, light blue hatching and yellow. On the right the list of lines is headed by a sketch of U-Bahn train in a station.

Berlin - Blickpunkt der Welt : BVG Verkehrsführer : Berlin transport guide : Berliner Verkehrs - Betrieben : nd [c.1950] : Linienführung der BVG - West : A German language guide to the major streets and sights of Berlin along with a list of the city's tram, bus and underground (U-Bahn) routes. A small folder it includes various fold out pages that show in maps the BVG-West's combined tram, bus and U-Bahn routes along with a plan of the excursions possible by BVG services to Grunewald and the Havel. Not dated the folder already shows the growing post-war division between east and west Berlin although this does show the continued extension of a few tram routes into the eastern sector before public transport routes were wholly curtailed within sectors and before the Berlin Wall was constructed. West Berlin, unlike the East, was to abandon its extensive tramway network in the 1960s and this list shows the 21 tram still running and it was abandoned, replaced by bus A24, in 1953 so the folder pre-dates this date. I have also seen a later 1954 edition with a more modern example of Berlin's famous double deck buses on the cover so this with the older style is likely to predate this. The cover "Berlin - the focus of the world", is by Maty and the version of the U-Bahnnetz plan on the back cover is by Tesch of the BVG. The map shows tram routes in solid red lines, bus routes in red dashed lines and the U-Bahn lines imposed in black. To the west of the western sector can be seen the Grunewald in green and the Havel.

Berlin - Blickpunkt der Welt : c.1950 Berlin BVG West transport guide - detailing the city's tram, bus & U-Bahn system before the Western sector scrapped its tramway system. #transport #Berlin #Germany #maps @transitmap.net @stephenbln.bsky.social

↘️ flic.kr/p/2rgtnZL

Transit Maps: Submission – Historical Map: Original Conceptual Map for the São Paulo Metro, c. 1967 Submitted by Frederico, who says: This is the network diagram of the first company identity ever created for the São Paulo metro by Brazillian design agency Cauduro Martino, back in the late 1960s,…

From the archives: the original conceptual map for the São Paulo metro by Brazilian design agency Cauduro Martino, 1967.

transitmap.net/sao-paulo-19...

Submission – Official Map: Valley Metro Light Rail and Streetcar, Phoenix, Arizona, 2025 Submitted by a few people—sorry for the delay in getting to this!—including Shameek, who says: Phoenix is opening the new southern light rail extension and splitting the system into two separate lines, so naturally they released a new map! I like some of the ideas in here, especially the downtown inset and treating the streetcar equally, but I wanted to hear your take.

New on the blog! Phoenix's light rail system has expanded to two lines – is their new diagram up to the task?

A small indication of the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes before we even *see* a transit diagram!

(Also, I low-key have a crush on that hypothetical built-out system map)

Ah, I was wondering if it was a CHK America map - thanks for the confirmation!

Submission – Official Map: Valley Metro Light Rail and Streetcar, Phoenix, Arizona, 2025 Submitted by a few people—sorry for the delay in getting to this!—including Shameek, who says: Phoenix is opening the new southern light rail extension and splitting the system into two separate lines, so naturally they released a new map! I like some of the ideas in here, especially the downtown inset and treating the streetcar equally, but I wanted to hear your take.

New on the blog! Phoenix's light rail system has expanded to two lines – is their new diagram up to the task?

Quick Project: Queensland Rail Network Diagram Okay, as promised in the previous post, here's my version of the Queensland passenger rail network as a diagram. As is usual for these redesigns, I've only spent a few hours on this – just to show that better design doesn't necessarily need to take a lot of time. Everything is meant to be simple but clear. The rules – the same canvas size as the official map, and all of the information on the official map has to be shown for a true apples-to-apples comparison.

As promised, here's my quick diagrammatic redesign of that Queensland Rail map!

Pretty much – a railroad from "nowhere to nowhere" disconnected from the rest of the network (and always has been) and running some vintage railbus rolling stock – see photo. The line itself dates as far back as 1888.

www.gulflander.com.au

They absolutely exist and you can ride them today!

www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au

And here's a side-by-side comparison of the two different approaches to this design problem. Mine is on the right, just in case that wasn't clear :-)

Quick Project: Queensland Rail Network Diagram Okay, as promised in the previous post, here's my version of the Queensland passenger rail network as a diagram. As is usual for these redesigns, I've only spent a few hours on this – just to show that better design doesn't necessarily need to take a lot of time. Everything is meant to be simple but clear. The rules – the same canvas size as the official map, and all of the information on the official map has to be shown for a true apples-to-apples comparison.

As promised, here's my quick diagrammatic redesign of that Queensland Rail map!

Kind of amazed that this 17-year old subway map remains untouched on the S.I. Newhouse ferry.

Submission – Official Map: Queensland Rail Network Submitted by Bushland Maps, who says: I have noticed that no one has submitted the Queensland Rail network map, so here it is! Sort of… I have attached the link to the web page rather than the image because the legend isn't on the map, its actually below it on the webpage… That will be fun to format! I find this map peculiar for a few reasons, namely the fact that corners, station dot locations, and label locations have had no thought put in to their placement.

New on the blog! An underwhelming official map/diagram of long-distance passenger rail services in Queensland, Australia:

I have seen good ones… but this is not one of them.

Submission – Official Map: Queensland Rail Network Submitted by Bushland Maps, who says: I have noticed that no one has submitted the Queensland Rail network map, so here it is! Sort of… I have attached the link to the web page rather than the image because the legend isn't on the map, its actually below it on the webpage… That will be fun to format! I find this map peculiar for a few reasons, namely the fact that corners, station dot locations, and label locations have had no thought put in to their placement.

New on the blog! An underwhelming official map/diagram of long-distance passenger rail services in Queensland, Australia:

Meanwhile, 100 years ago... yep, that's a 70-mile electric interurban loop running through Boise, Caldwell, Meridian, Nampa and Eagle, plus city streetcars in Boise itself.

Route Changes Effective February 21, 1937: Williams Ave., Killingsworth, Vancouver, Thirty-Ninth and Woodlawn Lines. --- Effective February 21 route changes will be made as shown in the unshaded areas of the map above in keeping with the Portland Traction Company’s modernization program. Effective with the above changes service will be temporarily discontinued on Killingsworth between Greeley and Interstate until the St. Johns line is converted to electric trolley coach operation. It is anticipated that St. Johns trolley coach service will start within sixty days, giving the above district through service on that line to the city center. For details of current route changes ask any Portland Traction Company operator for the new route change folder. Note: Route changes shown on this map are subject to further revision upon completion of the St. Johns trolley coach line. Announcement will be made of of such changes within approximately 60 days.

Newspaper ad from February 1937 showing route changes being made as part of the Portland Traction Company's modernization program. The Williams Avenue and Woodlawn streetcar lines were abandoned at this time, and several others only had a few more months of existence.

(Ad copy in alt text)

15% off today and tomorrow only – get your transit map prints now!

The maps I have in my store are based on what high-quality scans I can obtain. There are a few variations of this Sydney tram map from different years (all showing the same area) – the 1905 one just has the best print quality. I haven't come across a good scan showing the network at its zenith.

Flash sale – 15% off all prints in the store through the end of the month! Discount taken automatically. Original designs and vintage reproductions.

transitmap.net/store/prints/

Two of my absolute faves - you’re gonna love them!

Les archives de la RATP la gare de Châtelet Les Halles en 1977 Arrivée du RER A à Noisy le Grand en 1977, la prolongation à Torcy se fera en 1980. Arrivée du RER B à Châtelet en 1977, la prolongation à Gare du Nord se fera en 1982.

Flash sale – 15% off all prints in the store through the end of the month! Discount taken automatically. Original designs and vintage reproductions.

transitmap.net/store/prints/

June 2025 edition of Seattle Transit Map

After over a year of neglect, I finally updated my Seattle Transit Map! September will mark the tenth anniversary of the map. The website itself needs work but the new layer is now online. seattletransitmap.com/app/

Becksploitation – Sydney’s Beck-style railway maps - London Reconnections The leading source for independent news and analysis about transport in London and beyond. Award-winning coverage of transport infrastructure and politics alongside stories about the history of the Ca...

A good overview of Sydney's long but sporadic fixation with a Harry Beck-style diagram over on the London Reconnections blog:

www.londonreconnections.com/2025/beckspl...

Next Pixar movie: "What if infographics were people?"

Two ideas for this: if I see it as a supporting service for the City of New Orleans, I could give it a color that's related to the orange of that route, maybe darken it up to a mid-brown. OR I could just go for something that provides good visual contrast between the two lines, like a dark blue.

Yep! There’s a legend on the full map that clearly explains this

Southern Pacific junction sketch No. 141 from 1923 showing the Hillsboro city loop that the interurban "Red Electric" cars used along Sixth, Main and Range streets. The main ticket office and waiting room was at Main and Third. Love the little flags for station names!