Visualizing the New York City Subway System
The New York City subway system is one of the largest subway networks in the world. It operates 24 hours a day and 365 days a year by Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA).
2.4 million average daily ridership
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665 miles of subway tracks
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472 stations
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5 New York City boroughs
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2.4 million average daily ridership • 665 miles of subway tracks • 472 stations • 5 New York City boroughs •
What is Effective about the Visualization?
From the user-end, despite the complexity of multiple intersecting subway routes, one can follow paths to determine how to get from one location to the next. This is possible because of the distinct, colored lines showing each subway route. Also, each of the approximately 500 stations’ locations are clear marked. Additionally, the map includes a Legend that defines the symbols used and alterations to operations at specific times of the days, as well as holidays.
The New York City Subway spans 665 miles and all five boroughs.
Map credited to Metropolitan Transit Authority (2023).
What are the Visualization’s Shortcomings?
Because the network spans a large geographical area, the visualization is not adaptable to smaller formats. On a mobile device, a user must scroll both vertically and horizontally, as well as zoom both in and out of frame to view the entire map. This would be difficult for subway riders who are traveling long distances or needing to transfer to different routes within the network. Also, on mobile devices this visualization would be difficult to read for individuals with visual impairments. MTA partially addresses this issue by offering an alternative large print edition of the map. However, this version also requires continuous scrolling up-down/left-right and zooming in and out of the frame—more so because the larger type takes up more space. Referring to other apps, such as Google Maps, may be necessary to assist users to navigate.
Furthermore, although the visualization successfully shows stations’ locations, it does not indicate what side of the street riders either enter or exit stations. In particular, novice users exiting stations may become disoriented. Again, this indicates that users cannot rely on this map alone to orientate themselves on their current location and their desired destination. Additional visual aids, such as entrance signs and signage indicating what street those exiting the station will come out on, may be necessary. A potential solution to improve this visualization would be to use unique symbols indicating stations’ entrance locations by intercardinal directions (e.g. northeast, northwest, etc.). This could replace the one universal symbol in use that indicates a station. However, by making this change, it would require users to seek the definitions of four symbols (rather than one symbol).
References
Metropolitan Transit Authority. Subway and bus ridership for 2021. Metropolitan Transit Authority. https://new.mta.info/agency/new-york-city-transit/subway-bus-ridership-2021
New York City Subway Large print edition, with railroad and airport connections. (2023). Metropolitan Transit Authority. https://new.mta.info/map/5341
New York City Subway with railroad and airport connections. (2023). Metropolitan Transit Authority. https://new.mta.info/map/5256