Trunk Lines
June - September 2022
Embedded Files
NEW RELEASE: R110B Pin Designs (Batch 2)
This phase, which ran from June 2022 to September 2022, saw the completion of the trunk line diagrams. This process was very intensive, as I had to reference numerous other maps (as well as deal with an entire bus network redesign in the Bronx), but it came out well in the end.
Software used: Adobe Illustrator
The Broadway Shuffle
I basically littered the Broadway Line with limited service trips and their respective routes. I also added station names along the lines as well as letter indicators.
Weaving the Line
Sometimes, the station names would take up a little too much space....
Notes, and lots of them.
It's June 2022, and I had learned of yet another long-term service change. This time, it's on the Jamaica Line.
Connections!
I dreaded this process. Individually placing each bullet and spacing them at a consistent width and aligned them with each stop.
Anyways, I had created a bullet set and began this work on the most simple of the non-shuttle routes: the G.
Nostalgia!
I brought back the brown M to designate the weekend shuttle since it never runs on 6th Av.
This or That?
The original intention for the square bullets was to indicate a connecting service that had limited rush hour trips that connected to the line in question. It didn't get far.
Back to the drawing board.
After completing the G and the L, it was time to tackle the first of the trunk lines: 6th Av. Looks like the bullets were a little too large...
Transfer to....
Every line except the 4, 5, 6, G, J, L, and Z.
Dots or Lines?
Another feature of the original 1979 Subway Map were the inclusion of bus routes that ran into airports that also served subway lines. I wanted a way to distinguish each line since the original had them as one single color, so I turned to the bus maps and used the colors assigned there.
Terminal Squares
By adding the locations of short turns, I needed a way to emphasize that these stations served as terminals for these limited amounts of trips.
Queens Blvd Realignment, Part II
Let's just say I wanted to make the line more compact and take up less space on the map.
Color Changes
Somewhere along the way, I had finally taken the time to research the PMS Pantone colors. I made the changeover, and there was an instant change in brightness. The colors really popped out.
Elevators!
The next step was to add ADA icons to stations that were accessible.
I also found out that the Q has a long string of consecutive accessible stations.
Up and Over
Because of space concerns, I decided to flip the New Lots and Flatbush branches of the 4 and 5.
I also didn't want the New Lots branch to be too close to the Jamaica Line, since it could lead to space issues if I move the entire Jamaica Line to the left.
After 12 long years...
The Brown M returns! But as a weekend shuttle service though :P
Southward Shifts, East and West
I corrected some (intentional?) error where the East Side streets were shifted southward when compared to their corresponding West Side street number.
DeKalb Super-Express Shuffle
Wanting to simplify the lines in and around DeKalb Av, I wanted to completely do away with the "super-express" bypass.
This, however, lead to some ambiguity in the meaning of the stop blob, so this change was reverted.
May I get a transfer please?
Endless referencing between the bus maps as well as historical references to get it all right. Once again, I started with the G and the L.
Behind The Scenes
Let's take a look at the magic that makes it happen: the endless layers of lines, strokes, and cut-outs.
Cramming Season
Everything had to fit right. A lot of trunk lines had their station placements modified during this process.
Drop Shadows into the Ocean
The original 1979 maps had a drop shadow underneath all of the landmasses. I tried replicating this (and failed).
Experiments on White Plains
Some spacing work was done.
I also tested out different color and stroke variations on the various limited/rush hour service patterns.
I ultimately decided against these.
Seven Months Later
Here's a look at the front of the map after seven months of work.
The Pantone colors really shine through and make the map 'pop' out!
It was around this time that I decided to put the project on hold and focus on other endeavors (as well my academic studies).
Some minor work was done, but nothing substantial was added until November 2022, where more progress was done on the trunk line diagrams.
You've reached the end of the page! I'm currently backlogged on documentation right now and there's dozens of other images to go through. So sit tight! The documentation of the project is still ongoing!
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