Turin High Frequency Transit Map
Here goes my last transit mapping project.
A high frequency map of the public transport system of Turin, explicitly entitled:
Pianta schematica delle linee con intervalli inferiori à 11’,
tutti i feriali, dalle 7 alle ore 20
This map shows the routes with a frequency below ten minutes during daytime, all working days, in addition with the routes having this frequency during rush hours (the latter having a frequency of eleven minutes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., hence the “11” in the title).
This schematic map is not to scale, the emphasis is put on the routes, therefore the central area, where the density of the network is the highest, is bigger; further away from this area, the space is downsized for visual clarity. This map is not based on any grid, instead, it follows the main structure of the urban layout.
As indicated previously, only the routes with six or more trips per hour are depicted – during weekdays, from 7a.m. to 8p.m. (numbers in bold) or at least during rush hours (numbers in regular type). Hence we have the metro line, six light rail routes: 3, 4, 10, 13, 15, 16; and ten bus routes: 2, 5, 10N, 11, 17, 18, 55, 56, 68, 72.
Each line marks a single direction for all routes, except for the metro line.
Colors are used with parsimony (cf. infra).
Modes are distinguished by route signs displayed in red at end and beginning of routes, the routes’ reminders are smaller and in black, as well as the lines proper.
All route signs keep the following shapes:
— a round bullet for the bus;
— a square for the tram and metro;
for the latter, all stations are indicated by an oval indented into the width of the line and named. The sign of the metro line is a capitalized letter ‘M’, whose features are specific: distinctive leaning and symmetric sides strokes, looking more like an inverted ‘W’ or two capital ‘A’ joined without crossbar – slightly wider than the former New York City MTA logo (from 1968 to 1994) – also, this letter is always in solid white on a red square.
This sign has been used as the symbol for the metro systems in Italy for decades.
One of the main features of this map is the different line-weights. They are related to the different frequencies, as below:
Moreover, a distinction of grain is added, to distinguish the routes that have a frequency below 10’ only during rush hours, those routes are represented by discontinuous lines.
It could appear obvious to correlate the line-weight with frequency on an urban transport map, but it is far from being a rule (from what everyone can observe currently in so many transport maps); then why isn’t this very simple and effective variable more used? From my professional experience: for reasons alien to information design. If anybody wants to exchange further on this point, I would be glad to develop.
To stay focused on Turin, you can take a look at the current official system map, where there is only one thickness for all tram and bus routes; this was not the case in the Turin’s maps of the 1980s, which were clearer in many ways.
To keep the emphasis on the transit system, I chose to show only few geographic features, such as the rivers and the main roads (this is a transit-oriented map not a street map, another apparently obvious statement too often not in line with the actual practice – again – for reasons alien to information design), named in capital letter in a sans-serif condensed, light typeface that saves space and is easily legible in small size.
The map displays the most important places of interest, such as Hospitals, University campuses, landmarks, etc., all of them simply displayed by their own names in a distinct serif typeface, with strong contrast between full and connecting strokes, from the Didone group to distinguish them from the written information related to the system, all in sans-serif, Lineal, sub-group of neo-grotesque, typefaces (Vox-AtypI Classification).
The background is a solid warm grey on which the roads are drawn in simple white lines. This hue somewhat reduces the contrast between the stark red and black with the background.
I use few pictograms.
Four transit-related:
— one for the train stations;
— one for the bus terminals;
— one for the customer information centers;
— one for the “park & ride” car parks.
Only two other for important landmarks:
— a sign for the hospitals in cyan to highlight them;
— another for the industrial areas which are a distinct feature of the urban landscape, with the huge Fiat plants in the southern side of the city, among which the famous Lingotto. I drew this pictogram with the distinctive roof shapes of the industrial plants of the early 20th century in mind.
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The seventeen routes depicted form the backbone of a system serving a dense conurbation of 1.4 million, with two other tram lines and sixty-seven bus routes, for a total of eighty-six regular routes.
The larger metropolitan area of 2.2 million is served further away from the denser part by seven suburban train lines (Servizio Ferroviario Metropolitano) and a complementary network of forty bus routes extraurbane, all under the management of the GTT (Gruppo Torinese Trasporti).
A. B.-M.
