

Futura, the main typeface used throughout, is unusual in that it looks better at thinner weights. Other overly-designed features also affect the overall impact: the odd drop shadow below the header and the unnecessarily graduated grey background behind the legend.įinally, type choices. It’s a finicky detail that goes against the simplicity shown elsewhere on the map, especially when the black edges butt up to the white circles around each station. This map also outlines its routes in black, something I don’t think I’ve seen on any other transit map. It’s always better to add curves to route lines manually to avoid this effect.
#MARTA TRANSIT MAP SOFTWARE#
I know from experience that this happens when Adobe Illustrator’s “Round Corners” effect is applied to any angle apart from a right angle – the algorithm the software uses is flawed and creates curves that don’t quite line up with each other. When the Red and Yellow lines curve through 45 degrees together, the gap between them increases dramatically, creating an unsightly white bulge.

However, closer analysis reveals some elements that jar, and stop this map from being truly world-class. – although any information about disabled access to the system is strangely lacking), and good informational hierarchy (note how the road network, although present, is toned down nicely in comparison to the rail lines). In recent years, several have voted to join MARTA, further incentivizing the transportation organization to provide high-capacity services to the outer regions.Ītlanta is the third fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States and it has suffered from poor public transportation.This map is a great example of how it’s attention to the little details that separate the great transit maps and the merely good.Īt first glance, this map has all the elements of the best: a clean layout, an excellent and consistently applied set of icons for subsidiary information (parking, restrooms, lost and found, etc. Further tweaks were also made to extend train and bus lines more effectively into some of Atlanta’s 10 outlying counties. The light rail addition has long been in the works for the famed urban park and trial. Initial plans for the major expansion were announced in May, but significant adjustments were made leading up to the final decision after Beltline advocates pushed for more money for public transit along the 22-mile loop. Station improvements along the MARTA rail line will also be made over the next few years. Three arterial rapid transit routes serving both the north and south sides of Atlanta will be built out as well, making 20-to-30 minute trips much faster. In total, 29 miles of light rail will be built throughout the city, as well as 13 miles of new bus lines. Map showing MARTA’s mass transit expansion plan (Courtesy More MARTA) Officials have agreed to dole out money to 17 projects across the city, allocating large sums to the Beltline and the Clifton Corridor, the latter of which will include four miles of light rail service from the Lindbergh Station to a new station at Emory University. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the 40-year plan, “ More MARTA,” was approved by the authority’s board of directors in a unanimous vote on Thursday. The announcement marks the largest development strategy made by the organization in decades. Last week, Atlanta ’s notoriously dysfunctional mass transportation authority, MARTA, released a $2.7-billion expansion plan that will extend its services from the city center via light rail, bus rapid transit, and arterial roadways.
