Comments on WMATA makes new diagrammatic bus maps - Greater Greater Washington

Comment by Dan Malouff

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 12:11:19 EDT

Great work WMATA. Love these so much. Here's a link to a blog post with my thoughts, and here are some specific suggestions:

1. Add a middle thickness line weight and use it to highlight non-WMATA frequent routes, as well WMATA routes in the suburbs that need to be called out as “major”, but that don’t offer really frequent service. This will better illustrate the important non-WMATA routes, and improve the visual hierarchy in suburban areas, which are currently shown with either too many or too few highlighted routes.

2. Add more geographic clues in areas with a lot of homogenous routes that are difficult to distinguish, such as Gaithersburg and Germantown.

3. Add names to MARC and VRE station labels.

4. Make a single regional map available. I can see why you'd want to keep separate maps for DC, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Virginia, but there’s no good reason not to publish a single overall map as well.

5. A really great next step would be to make these interactive maps, instead of pdfs. I’d love to be able to see individual routes highlighted separately whenever I hover my cursor on them, and then go to the timetable with a click.

Comment by Mike Sullivan

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:42:50 EDT

These look great. Much improved.

One tiny nit: On the DC map, Somerset (Md.) is in the wrong place, It should be above the Friendship Heights station. The area labeled Somerset should be Brookmont.

Comment by Marlon Hall (MJofLakeland1)

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 03:59:29 EDT

I like the new maps!! It is easier to see the frequent corridors and connecting area bus service without overlooking a non-Metro route to another connecting area service marked the same color. This is similar to MTA Maryland’s system map that pinpoints major-transfer points and the routing design is straight-forward of a corridor and not trying to be accurately realistic, showing all bus lines’ whole routing.
Missing parts:
*Route terminus labels a locations (Make a key box in corner of map with label numbered)
*Major connecting streets not served by a bus route
*Bring back border outline with routes crossing counties or states (Eliminate arrows at end of routes)
*MetroExtra routes need “white dots” locating stops
*Mark and color neighborhood parks
*Peak-hour routes labeled with “hash-marks” on it’s individual routing (When not sharing route with frequent service) on map
Revise the route schedule maps to appear more like WMATA than some other transit service. Route be closely similar to system map, but keep same features as current schedule maps and branch routes are colored differently, example: Virginia’s Route 16.

Comment by OctaviusIII

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 02:32:21 EDT

Oh, also: it leaves off Glen Echo park, which is definitely a point of interest.

Comment by OctaviusIII

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 02:29:31 EDT

I wanted to chime in again - yeah, the principal problem with this map is that it doesn't show where the bus lines interact with important features, like metro stops, park & rides, and points of interest. It shows them separate, meaning there are only buses that go near points of interest but never intersect them.

The other major problem - not showing other systems in a similar hierarchy - is really secondary to this concern.

Comment by Frank IBC

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:43:25 EDT

@ Andy W. - Yes, it makes it look like the Forest Glen and Wheaton Stations are about a quarter mile away from Georgia Avenue.

Comment by Andy W.

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 08:28:54 EDT

Great effort overall, but it's hard to tell when major bus routes and Metrorail lines run parallel to each other. For example, the Q and Y buses in Montgomery County run along Georgia Avenue, and the Red Line runs underneath Georgia from Forest Glen to Glenmont. However, the new map depicts them as two separate corridors. This could confuse riders who don't know the area well - and it could be very confusing during rail service disruptions (I know, when does THAT ever happen??) when riders are stressed and looking for quick, clear info on bus alternatives.

I wonder if they could make a second version of the map showing just the Metrorail stations, not the lines. As long as a rail map is nearby - either physically at stations and bus stops, or side by side on the web site - riders should be able to compare them easily. (Using the same station icons on both the rail and bus maps might help.) Alternatively, they could put an interactive map on the web site that can toggle the rail lines on and off.

Comment by David Alpert

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 07:58:49 EDT

MDE wrote:

Question: Is it WMATA's job to delicately map differing levels of service for other bus operators in the region? Or is it enough that WMATA acknowledges that they exist, shows where they go and sends you to their map/schedules for more information? Doesn't WMATA have enough work in front of them describing their own 300+ routes? Why is it their job to display their own service, let alone all the other 8+ local operators?
Maybe COG/TPB or someone should own making a fully regional bus map?

I think that WMATA should indeed do this. WMATA is the only regional agency in a good position to. To most riders, WMATA is still synonymous with transit. Yes, other jurisdictions run transit, but WMATA runs most of the transit, and is funded by the jurisdictions to run joint transit.

Riders aren't interested in bus service by a particular operator, they're interested in bus service. Every agency should put out maps that provide information about all service, but especially WMATA, whose maps will get the most attention.

I also think that when the DC streetcar or Purple Line open, WMATA maps and wayfinding ought to point people there. We need all agencies to think broadly about how to get people the best information, not necessarily to just focus on their own stovepipe defined by a somewhat arbitrary

As for COG/TPB, let's say they made a fully regional map. Would WMATA then adopt it as the/a main bus map in stations and on its website? Because if not, then you have the same problem, that the main transit agency which runs most of the transit and which people associate with transit is not making it easy for riders to find other information.

And why isn't WMATA the COG/TPB of transit? WMATA is an interstate compact organization with a board made up of all the jurisdictions. I see no reason it couldn't or shouldn't play this role; if jurisdictions are willing to have WMATA do a regional transit-related task, it seems entirely appropriate.

In fact, with the Regional Transit System Plan the planning group at WMATA was working on (I wonder what's up with that now, anyway?), they were explicitly playing this role and answering big regional questions whether or not the answers were transit services operated by WMATA itself. We needed that big, non-stovepiped thinking and I am glad WMATA was (still is?) doing it.

Someone has to be the regional transit planner and regional transit information provider. TPB has not historically filled that role and doesn't seem poised to. WMATA should do it, because otherwise nobody will, and that's worse for riders.

Comment by kk

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 22:10:42 EDT

WMATA should have any interactive map on their site that covers the whole service area including Dulles Airport and BWI that allows a user to pinpoint stops, intersections, transfer points, etc.

Its a start and all but I think there should be 2 or 3 versions of the maps for Metrorail and Metrobus.

1 Similar to above

2 Showing all streets in jurisdiction with bus routes layered over that so you can correct pinpoint what street a route crosses.

3 Giant PDF or Interactive map on site that shows all bus stops for each route pinpointed on map.

4 Realistic map that shows Metrobus and Metrorail
--

Bad issues

1 All routes same colour for the most part

2 Doesn't do a good job of addressing all routes, some are not visible. If this is to be the map than there needs to be a second one

3 Does not point out where buses end; example would be 34 by the map ends at Eastern Market but it goes to Archives in reality

4 Does not designate one way routes

Comment by Steven Harrell

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 18:38:38 EDT

This is awesome!

I don't mind that I'll need to use another map or app to get specific details. I like that this map gives me a good sense of the general shape of the bus system. We can all kind of visualize what the Metrorail system looks like (even if some of the details are a little off), but now it's a lot easier to visualize the bus network as well (at least in the District).

I also don't mind the arrows ID'ing busses that end downtown, though it would be helpful to ID the ones that cross most of the CBD first. DC's CBD is so wide that just knowing that a bus goes downtown isn't all that helpful. Most of the arrows seem to do a good job at pointing right at their endpoints- so I have a good idea of about where to look for them on the downtown map- but I can't tell from the map that the 52/54 (for instance) goes all the way to the far south of the CBD before terminating.

I agree with earlier comments RE Peter Dunn's spider maps. Maybe someone should start a kickstarter campaign to fund a few more of those.

@Octavius: thanks for the links to other maps! I had to laugh when I saw the Caltrain station area maps, though... those 5-minute walk radii don't seem all that helpful.

Comment by OctaviusIII

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 17:07:48 EDT

On other bit of inspiration from the West. There's a map on p. 2 of this collection (big PDF) might serve as a model of an uncluttered call-map of downtown DC. Rather than show the routing, it shows what buses stop where, while page 4 shows information for all the agencies serving the downtown area.

This would eliminate the need to show the thicket of routes individually, instead allowing people to find out easily what buses stop where. If WMATA did want to show the thicket, it should definitely be done in a highly stylized manner so each route could be identified without it getting as messy as it easily could become.

Comment by OctaviusIII

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:50:46 EDT

@andrew

The SF map is for frequent service corridors only; other bus routes are omitted.

Comment by andrew

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 16:24:34 EDT

Wow. I really like the headway diagrams on the SF map, as well as the map itself... I have no clue why the SF agencies don't post that map publicly... it's much better than the official one!

Comment by Neil G

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:48:08 EDT

Aaaah!

Looks great, but I -promise- the font across the WHOLE set of maps is supposed to be Helvetica Neue! Looks like some PDF, somewhere along the way, dropped the character set and replaced it with Myriad or whatever.

As part of emulating the strengths of the rail map, these bus maps are supposed to re-introduce Helvetica, at varying weights.

Stay tuned...

Comment by Capt. Hilts

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:09:05 EDT

Thanks for the info, Jasper.

I'll give it a try.

Comment by Jasper

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 15:03:10 EDT

@ Capt Hills: I was told that GUTS is for faculty, staff and students only.

It is officially. My guess is that they need to maintain that they check IDs for regulatory purposes. Officially, there is a $1 fee for university guests. However, since IDs are rarely checked, they can't find out you're a guest. And even when you announce you're a guest, only grumpy drivers will demand the fee.

Comment by Michael Perkins

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:46:29 EDT

Ok, that SF cityscape map is fantastic, especially the presentation of headways at the bottom left corner.

Comment by Capt. Hilts

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:37:30 EDT

Falls Church, I was told that GUTS is for faculty, staff and students only.

I'm none of the above. The 31 gets closest, but in a driving rain, as predicted yesterday, it's a bit of a walk.

Comment by Falls Church

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 14:12:37 EDT

@Capt Hilts

The best bus for getting to Georgetown U. is the university's own bus called GUTS. It runs frequently during peak periods from Rosslyn station and i think dupont too.

Comment by Gull

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:48:06 EDT

I'll concur with those who thing the map for DC is a huge improvement over the existing map, but the maps for the suburban jurisdictions got worse. There are so many false representations of geography that I would almost certainly need a detailed street map at hand next to me to figure out where I was going, whereas DC's is more true to life. Granted DC has the benefit of being mostly a grid and the Counties are a curvy mess. Maybe they can show a more true to form route for the Counties because there is less route density in general? At least they labeled the road segments the routes are supposed to represent.

Comment by Frank IBC

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:43:53 EDT

OK, I learned something today - until now, I had never noticed that there is no continuous bus route along King Street in Alexandria between Braddock Road and Carlin Springs Road. It really stands out when the main routes are highlighted.

Comment by OctaviusIII

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:31:23 EDT

Agreed with most of the comments up here.

The biggest problem for me is that points of interest and park & rides don't always intersect the routes that serve them. So you have the Reston East Park & Ride, and you can infer the buses whose lines seem to pass it use it, but there's no way to know. How about Judicial Center in Fairfax? Is that served by the unnamed CUE? What about the nearby lines?

One way to help ameliorate the problem of what bus stops where is to have the points of interest (park & rides, points of interest, metro stations, etc.) listed at the bottom with what routes serve each. That way you don't have to guess, you know.

Similar maps are:
- SF Cityscape's unofficial Major Transit Routes (PDF) map of San Francisco
- Maryland TA's Regional Bus Map (PDF)
- Los Angeles' suite of maps

Comment by H Street LL

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:27:00 EDT

Very attractive.

@FrankIBC - H Street is maxed out for buses IMO (hence the streetcars...) The D buses seem to get a lot of ridership right where they are, as well.

Comment by Michael Perkins

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:24:29 EDT

@MDE: Would it be hard to contact the jurisdiction and ask them how they think their routes should be depicted under the three categories Metro has selected? Probably what would happen is that a few routes would get the thick line treatment, and everything else would stay the same.

Metro has a special role in the region, not only as the operator of the vast majority of public transit in the region but also as the regional integrator (especially fare collection technology and information) and overall standard bearer.

Plus, all these jurisdictions happen to fund metro to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Surely part of their funding could be directed to making sure the customer has valuable information they can use the regions transit systems easily.

Comment by Colleen

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:18:23 EDT

3) Make an off-peak/night bus map, and consider better coordinating night service better throughout the bus system. Presumably, the map would be much simpler, and could be smaller.

andrew, this is a great idea and would complement this map well.

Comment by MDE

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:42:13 EDT

Question: Is it WMATA's job to delicately map differing levels of service for other bus operators in the region? Or is it enough that WMATA acknowledges that they exist, shows where they go and sends you to their map/schedules for more information? Doesn't WMATA have enough work in front of them describing their own 300+ routes? Why is it their job to display their own service, let alone all the other 8+ local operators?

Maybe COG/TPB or someone should own making a fully regional bus map?

Comment by iana

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:39:17 EDT

Oh, I think they also ought to include the quadrants for the numbered/lettered streets, at least for the ones close to a quadrant boundary. For example, look at that "2nd St" marked just north of Catholic University -- if you didn't know the area well and didn't notice the "North Capitol Street" marker further up on the map, would you be able to guess right away that that's 2nd Street NE and not NW?

I wonder if the "I St/H St" on the 30s north of the White House will confuse anyone? I had to think about it for a second to remember that it's a one-way street pair and that's why it's marked that way, and I only remembered that since I live near there. Maybe a better idea would be to have "H Street" below the line and "I Street" above the line, with little arrows to make it clearer they're talking about a one-way pair and not a mid-route street shift? Perhaps even divide the line down the center somehow as a clearer visual indication?

Comment by David F-H

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:32:22 EDT

One thing missing from the key (or one key thing I've missed) is the difference between the light writing on dark background and dark writing on light background. I.e N2/N4 from N3/N6; I know the N2/4 are daytime bidirectional but the N3 is 'with' commuters and the N6 is nights and weekends only. How does this map convey that? Or am I dense?

Comment by andrew

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:26:50 EDT

Oh, this is much, MUCH better. Kudos to Metro for making a very good first draft.

A few thoughts:

1) Love the quadrant explanation.

2) Non-WMATA buses should get thick lines if they run frequently all day, and accept SmarTrip. For that matter, let's just take all of the non-SmarTrip services off of the map.

3) Make an off-peak/night bus map, and consider better coordinating night service better throughout the bus system. Presumably, the map would be much simpler, and could be smaller.

4) Actually make sure those frequent corridors are running frequently, and that the "All Day Service" claim is accurate. Does the 96 really run that much less frequently than the 90/92?

5) Show where bus lines end with a dot (or something).

6) Highlight the portion covered by the downtown inset better. I can barely see the gray lines, and it's confusing to see so many lines disappearing into the abyss.

For that matter, I don't think anybody would complain if WMATA made some detailed neighborhood spider maps and placed them in those areas. You could also include CaBi, etc. on those maps.

7) Read your style guide, and color the Metro stops consistently. (Yes, this is very OCD, but details count)

Comment by iana

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:26:06 EDT

Yeah, that do-si-do is bound to confuse the heck out of bus riders who will think the bus route swerves for some reason even though 7th Street is actually straight as an arrow all the way from I Street SW up to Florida Avenue. I'd be scratching my head trying to figure out if I need to go over to 6th Street or something in order to get on the bus north of the convention center, since the only place where "7th Street" is written on the map is south of the do-si-do. I'd see that "5th Street" marker for the P6 and notice that the 70/79 line north of it seems to be halfway between the "5th Street" and the "7th Street", so the 70/79 must be going over to 6th Street, right?

(Sure, "Georgia Avenue" is indicated up further north, but not everybody knows that Georgia Avenue is a continuation of 7th Street -- and even if you know the area, you might figure the bus cuts back over at Florida Avenue because 6th Street peters out in LeDroit Park).

Better to adjust the location of the Green Line on the map so that bus lines can be kept straight, since, as you say, the underground routing of the Metro lines between stations isn't something riders need to be concerned with, whereas the routing of the bus lines on the streets is vital information for anyone who wants to figure out where to go to get on the bus. Maybe just keep the Green Line to the left of the 70/79 the whole way from Gallery Place on up -- it looks like it would fit just fine that way. I'd prioritize this change over absolutely anything else on the draft DC map because I just know it's going to drive people bonkers if left as-is.

Comment by Gray

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:16:27 EDT

@David: Of course, the frustrating thing about google maps is that it doesn't include many of the area agencies that are included in Metro's trip planner. Not as much of an issue within DC (or are Circulator buses not included in google maps), but definitely an issue when, say, one end of my trip requires that I go through Tysons and I have to decide whether to use Metrobus or FFC.

Comment by Alex B.

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 12:00:11 EDT

Like I said, if we're going to ignore geography, we might as well make it pretty.

I don't know about that.

BeyondDC did his bus route that was super geometric, and I don't think it was nearly as useful as what WMATA has shown here - precisely because the angles here, while simplified, retain enough relation to the underlying geography.

Pretty maps are great, but if you're prioritizing 'pretty' over 'useful' or 'accurate,' then that's not a good thing.

Comment by Frank IBC

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:53:05 EDT

I love Peter Dunn's spider map - I'm sorry I didn't see it when it was published last year.

It raises the question - is it really necessary to have the D's on K St. NE, when H St. is just 2 blocks south?

Maybe it would be better having the D's on H St. and then connecting to Trinidad on 12th or 13th Sts. NE.

Comment by Justin.....

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:50:19 EDT

I like what I see, definitely. Just wanted to second the need to differentiate the non-Metro lines. Looking at the Ride-On lines in Germantown for example, it would seem like everything is exactly the same. In reality, the 100 is a non-stop shuttle between the Germantown Transit Center and Shady Grove, running every 10-15 minutes most of the time, the 55 runs every 15 minutes, as does the 97, and all three of these run until no earlier than 11:30 PM during the week (the 55 runs that late every day). Everything else runs every 20-30 minutes, usually 30. The 74 and 75 don't run on weekends (and stop running weekdays around 7), and the 98 doesn't run on Sunday. But, if you look at the map, you would have no way of knowing that.

I do like how Metro has differentiated their routes, but some of the suburban routes run as frequently (if not MORE frequently; I'm looking at you, Ride On 15) as the emphasized Metro routes, so I would like to see the same level of differentiation given to the suburban routes. Though, I wonder how they'd handle PG's The Bus, where nothing runs after about 8 PM during the week, and never on the weekends...

Comment by dan reed!

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:48:40 EDT

@Alex B.

don't blame the map for inelegance when the underlying service is the real challenge.

Somehow, the Maryland MTA was able to make a regional bus & rail transit map for Greater Baltimore using 45 and 90 degree angles, and they had to deal with Columbia, where orthogonal streets are practically against the law. Like I said, if we're going to ignore geography, we might as well make it pretty.

Comment by David

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:42:23 EDT

@Capt. Hilts, much easier to just use google maps, which does a pretty good job of using WMATA data to tell you how to get there.

Comment by Alex B.

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:40:42 EDT

Dan Reed,

That said, I think the diagrams, particularly for MoCo, Prince George's and NoVA, aren't very elegant. A lot of the angles seem really arbitrary - if you're going to ignore the actual geography, you might as well go all the way and do 30/60/90 angles or something (like on Peter Dunn's gorgeous H Street spider map.

You can only put so much lipstick on a pig. The suburban angles might not seem elegant, but that's because the street patterns aren't particularly elegant, and therefore the bus routes that use those streets are also inelegant in their geometry.

The H St spider map sort of proves the point - all of those nice clean angles follow the nice, clean angles of the L'Enfant plan.

In short: don't blame the map for inelegance when the underlying service is the real challenge.

Comment by Frank IBC

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:40:11 EDT

The new maps are definitely easier to read. But I'm not sure I like the idea of completely eliminating the list of buses terminating at a given metro station or other point.

Also, it would be a good idea to indicate the direction on one-way streets.

Comment by Capt. Hilts

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:22:24 EDT

I recently tried to use the WMATA trip planner to find a bus to get to Georgetown university.

What a nightmare. Specific addresses were repeatedly labeled as "not specific enough" and it wouldn't accept "Georgetown University" either.

Maddening. I ended up driving because of the weather.

Comment by Frank IBC

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:16:41 EDT

Not shown on this map, but the proposal to transfer the southeastern portion of the E2 route to the D4 sounds like a good idea. A continuous route east of the Red Line between Union Station and Fort Totten, without the stopover in the no-man's land of Ivy City. Though I will miss seeing that destination sign on buses.

Comment by John

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:15:56 EDT

This is a tremendous improvement - it will definitely help me use Metrobus more frequently.

I would like the map to include another insert with a stylized Metrorail/Circulator map (like David created for this post: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/6996/combine-the-circulator-and-metro-maps-for-visitors/).

Comment by dan reed!

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:05:50 EDT

I'm not sure how I feel about the maps. On the one hand, they're a big improvement or the existing maps and show a clear distinction between different services and types of services. I especially like that the most frequent routes are the thickest - and I'm okay that there's no set "threshold" for frequency, because while a rider in DC might think 5-minute headways are frequent, a suburban riders used to much less service might say 30 minutes is frequent.

It may also be worth exploring ways to better distinguish lines within the suburban systems, perhaps by frequency. For instance the 21 Ride On Bus in MoCo only comes at rush hour, and even if the route number's a different color, the line looks identical to other lines that run throughout the day.

Finally, I wish natural features had more hierarchy, especially because they help for visual organization. There are a lot of big parks in MoCo - Rock Creek Park, Northwest Branch Park, Seneca Creek State Park - that serve as boundaries between communities (for instance, they form a greenbelt around Germantown). Showing them on the bus map would help riders locate themselves more easily.

Comment by charlie

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:01:56 EDT

Is this the job of WMATA or the locals (DDOT, for instance?)

Does it makes sense the run the rail lines - as opposed to labelling stations?

It makes me wish we had streetcars up Glebe and Rt. 7 in Virginia.

Comment by Nilsson

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:01:08 EDT

Now when can we get these posted at bus stops? Most of the stops I visit have great big digital posters of soda and iced tea but there's no map to be found. This prioritization is frustrating to me; imagine how someone unfamiliar with bus routes feels.

Comment by Bossi

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 11:00:50 EDT

wow- there is a lot to like about this.

My biggest issue is that other agencies -- which use SmartTrip and are of little difference to most customers which agency they're riding -- are still all equally weighted. I'd love a bigger effort partnering w/ other agencies for a more universal transit map.

A smaller issue, to me, is that at the moment it skips out on some finer details. Like where, exactly, do the 63 and 64 diverge from 11th Street? While I know this just from living there; from this map I wouldn't be too sure whether I can catch a ride from the front of the skatepark or if I'll be waiting for a bus that'll never come.

As for that Shaw do-si-do: it appears to be intended to increase the separation from the 70/79 and the 63. Personally I'm OK with it as-shown.

Comment by Zack Ford

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:51:11 EDT

I really like the new map, but I have two pieces of feedback:

1) In addition to making the Circulator easier to see, it also needs to be corrected. The map does not include its route through Mt. Pleasant and Columbia Heights when it's returning south.

2) Something I've always found complicated is figuring out which bus goes where when routes intersect and overlap. When all the secondary routes are the same color, this makes it particularly confusing. Could perhaps slightly different shades help make some distinctions?

Comment by Gray

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:46:57 EDT

How about also working to make the routes make sense? I, for one, don't understand the current system of very similarly numbered routes that go to completely different places. The whole system would be a lot easier for me to use if I was more confident about which routes I could ride. Improved maps would help, but so would just simplifying and better explaining the routes.

Comment by jeff

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:46:15 EDT

Looks great for those familiar with the geography of DC, but for new residents and visitors the lack of street names prohibits basic navigation to and from the bus. If people have to use a second map for that I'd bet they're less likely to use the bus.

Comment by Matt Johnson

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:35:47 EDT

Wow, an amazing step forward. Of course, it still appears that the region won't have one bus map.

A few thoughts:
>Express buses should probably use a dashed line to indicate that you can't board them just anywhere. Examples on the Prince George's map include the 15X and the J4.

>In cases where a bus makes a one-way loop, it would be helpful to show arrows. For example, Prince George's Transit route 11 in Greenbelt, east of the BW Parkway.

>Showing Shuttle-UM routes in College Park is a nice touch, but unless you have a student ID, you can't ride any other than the 104 (which qualifies as a frequent route, btw).

>It would be helpful to show line families in a way that makes sense more temporally. For example, the G13/G14/G16 is *one* route. It runs from Greenbelt to New Carrollton via NASA Goddard. These buses never operate at the same time. For example, the G13/G14 operate additional service east of Good Luck Road to an office park. This service stops around 6:30p. After that, it's replaced by the G16, which makes the same route, except that it does not serve the segment east of Good Luck Road. (The G13 operates before 9:00A, and bypasses Beltway Plaza Mall, which isn't open that early).

On the map, though, the whole length of the G13/G14/G16 is the same color, including the "badge" for the G14, which shows that segment as "full time". I don't know how to show this, but I feel like part-time segments of routes should be indicated, not just entire routes that operate part-time.

At any rate, this is a great effort, and I look forward to seeing other improvements.

Comment by John Muller

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:27:35 EDT

Only other Metro system I am familiar with is Paris. This looks like the map for the bus lines in and around the Paris Métro.

Comment by John

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:12:17 EDT

This is infinitely better than the old map. Even w/o any further improvements. Just wow!

Comment by jay76

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:11:10 EDT

Great map.

Where say an E-W bus line crosses a N-S one, have one of the two lines show a "break" - makes it even simpler to determine that both continue on in their same directions.

Obviously can't do that where line(s) merge or change directions.