Home Subway Maps A PSA on Vignelli’s Regional Transit Diagram

A PSA on Vignelli’s Regional Transit Diagram

by Benjamin Kabak

regional_transit_diagram

A few weeks ago, I wrote on the first-of-its-kind regional transit diagram that the Port Authority, MTA and NJ Transit had produced for Super Bowl visitors. While it doesn’t show frequencies, the map offers an overview of the region’s rail connections between New Jersey and Manhattan. As Sunday’s Big Game is part of the so-called Mass Transit Super Bowl, this map is designed to get people from one side of the Hudson to the other with few mishaps.

I’ve had a lot of inquiries concerning hard copies of this map. You can download a PDF, but for many, that’s not good enough. For the map-hunters among us, you can find small Z-fold maps at a variety of locations throughout Manhattan and New Jersey, including the Super Bowl Boulevard set up on Broadway, Penn Station and Grand Central. I’ve heard they’re also available at some PATH trains and Secaucus Junction. It’s small and with many folds, but one way or another, these things will wind up on eBay selling for obscene amounts in a few years. Grab one while you can.

You may also like

10 comments

Spiderpig January 31, 2014 - 3:28 pm

I can’t imagine them selling for anything over $5, since the market is flooded. And they’re so cheaply made that one of the covers fell off after I was holding it for about five minutes, opening and closing a few times.

Reply
Jeff360 February 1, 2014 - 1:21 am

On the Vignelli map style side, some of the line colors are faded in some spots… must be some rush production error.

Reply
Patrick O'Hara January 31, 2014 - 3:34 pm

The map also won’t do you much good if you are trying to get to the game this Sunday… (and the service patterns themselves are quite confusing). PATH is running weekday service on Saturday but via Hoboken on Sunday, HBLR is running normally both days, etc. But there is still no direct Gladstone Branch service, no WORMs service or Montclair MidTOWN directs on NJT, or things like that. Back in December I created a “modified” diagram which I’ve updated to reflect the actual services being provided on Sunday right here.

Reply
Brooklyn Cowbell Guy January 31, 2014 - 5:05 pm

Found one on the seat next to me on the bus. Real cool

Reply
Go Seahawks! January 31, 2014 - 5:47 pm

With all the complaints about the Vignelli map when it was first introduced decades ago, it seems somebody at the MTA liked it & wants to keep using its style for future maps (like this one).

Maybe the concept that Vignelli had for having three sets of related maps should be re-examined and brought to life.

Reply
Duke January 31, 2014 - 8:15 pm

Ugh. I found the info booth where they were giving them away in Times Square, but you need a registered pass to get in. So close!

Was not able to locate any at Penn Station, despite asking around.

Reply
Jeff360 February 1, 2014 - 1:19 am

There’s plenty of the z-maps on Broadway.

Reply
SEAN February 1, 2014 - 11:42 am

Just ask around – you should find one.

I remember finding a similar type of map that NJT produced for Secaucus Junction’s opening. It also includes a helpful layout of Penn Station on the inside. Still have that one.

Reply
Josh K. February 1, 2014 - 2:21 pm

The map leaves out the Amtrak Empire Connection to the Metro-North Hudson Line.

Reply
brooklyncowbellguy February 3, 2014 - 3:52 pm

If anyone is interested, I have an extra map. Message my Facebook page if you really want it.

Reply

Leave a Comment