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There's a link to it near the bottom of this article, which gives a good overview of the concept as a whole. medium.com/design-bootc...

The ellipsoid preset actually goes outside the standard curve, which results in a squarer look that's not great for transit maps. The big preset actually aligns with the standard curve at the 45-degree tangent, just with smoother transitions to get there.

Lastly, here's a comparison between the three superellipse presets (solid magenta) and a standard curve (dotted cyan). The default preset, which produced the most pleasing result in my tests, actually sits entirely inside the standard curve, but probably looks optically correct because of that.

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And yes, I know it works at all angles: the pros and cons are just most visually obvious at a 90-degree angle for the purpose of experimentation.

I understand the principle behind it all; I'm just not sure if the average punter really notices these things. To me, it solves one problem, but potentially introduces others because our design tools have to use kludgy workarounds to achieve a result. Oh, for the control of typographical software!

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(Also, the "ellipsoid" preset produces terrible results and should definitely not be used.)

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And here's a version with a bit of white space between the parallel paths – the top row introduces all sorts of "wobbliness" because the gaps are not consistent. The offset bottom row looks better overall to my eye, but enough to justify the extra work involved? I'm not sure.

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Here's some samples. In the top row, I applied three presets in the script to the curve: you can see where the paths now overlap or leave a gap between them. UGLY. In the bottom row, I applied the script to the middle path, and then offset the other two paths from it. Better but cheating?

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I'm currently running my experiments in Illustrator with a script that approximates smooth curves (because Illustrator can't make them natively) and I am not convinced they're an improvement. Yes, the curves may be smoother to the eye, but getting parallel paths to look good is very problematic.

I'm not sure I'm getting the current hype for using superelliptical curves or "smooth corners" in transit map design. They seem like an awful lot of work for an incredibly small improvement that most average people wouldn't even notice to me. Interested to hear the thoughts of other on this.

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It's admittedly not easy to tell from these low-res previews, but I think all the text is set in Helvetica Neue Medium (or Helvetica 65), even the smaller type.

I'd probably advocate something like this as it matches the treatment they give to the airports. The diamond VRE logo would just be too small in this format.

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They say they've done extensive usability testing on it prior to roll-out, but – yeah, underwhelming.

I find it interesting that all the type seems to have been tracked in extra tight which gives it a 1970s modernist aesthetic, but also makes it that much harder to read.

From what I understand, the signage on the vault walls will just be station names and exit information (see below). All travel/service information will be moved to the platforms themselves so trains won't be in the way.

Here's the WMATA press release about the signage for full context. www.wmata.com/initiatives/...

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I have a feeling that they're doing that for consistency across all signage. The full name would fit on this sign, but not on others, as seen in this image. Worst case scenario wins, unfortunately.

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Transit Maps @transitmap.net · 21/09/2026

New station signage is rolling out in Washington, DC: first at L'Enfant Plaza, then system-wide in 5 years. Here's hoping that this mock-up isn't final as the line bullets are all too small: they should slightly overshoot the baseline and ascender of the adjacent type to look optically correct.

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Apologies if the site or the store were acting strangely for anyone today. Out-of-control cache files (over 12GB of them!) caused my storage to briefly exceed the maximum allowed by my hosting plan. Everything has been fixed now and normal service has been resumed.

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Transit Maps @transitmap.net · 27/07/2026

In Bill's memory, I will say "Ecky thump" a lot and go around hitting people with black puddings for no apparent reason.

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Decopunk 1927 @decopunk1927.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Behold, the smallest MBTA subway map I could make, a whopping 275 by 177 pixels including the border! The only way it could possibly be smaller is using a four-point font instead of a five-point font, or if they close some Green Line stations. I am challenging anyone else to make such a compact map.

Pixel-art MBTA subway map at a resolution of 275 by 177. All stations on the four rapid transit lines are labelled (some with abbreviations), and the commuter rail lines are also shown where they interchange.

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Still one of my favourite prints in the Transit Maps store – Travel Time by Rail, France, 1882. transitmap.net/store/produc...

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They repurposed the old wooden escalators at Wynyard railway station in central Sydney into art, positioned directly above where they used to operate.

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CMYK is out of order itself – ink on a printing press is normally laid down YMCK (lightest to darkest) to prevent ink contamination.

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Portland Streetcar History @pdx-streetcars.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Still one of my favourite prints in the Transit Maps store – Travel Time by Rail, France, 1882. transitmap.net/store/produc...

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Thoughts on a trend I'm seeing a lot on streetcar-related Facebook groups: someone posts an old photo of a streetcar, and then someone else uses AI to add color to it. It seems harmless, until you realize some wider implications. (A thread)

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Transit Maps @transitmap.net · 28/06/2026

Another in a long line of "highly implausible subway network layouts" when it comes to movie props. It'll look good in the background of shots and that's all it's really designed to do.

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Transit Maps @transitmap.net · 27/06/2026

I have a lovely version of this from 1981 that draws the parts that are under construction as a sort of black-and-white wireframe, which works so well with the simplicity of the diagram. transitmap.net/historical-m...

transitmap.net

Transit Maps: Historical Map: Tyne and Wear Metro, 1981

A beautiful early map for this system, clearly showing how much of it was planned from the start. Apart from a few name changes (the proposed “Old Fold” station became Gateshead Stadium, for exampl…

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Mike @mikeyashworth.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

As yesterday saw the very last scheduled in service run of an original Tyne & Wear Metrocar - some earlier publicity. The March 1983 Metro Pocket service guide; lines still terminating at Heworth prior to the Metro extension to South Shields. This is the classic Metro diagram @transitmap.net

Inner folds of the March 1983 Tyne & Wear Transport "Metro pocket service guide". This shows the classic "Metro" diagram aligned with the diamond of the interchange at Monument station and the four "lines" or service patterns. The top edge with title is in Metro chrome yellow that was carried by the old Newcastle Corporation 'buses and the PTE's bus services. The "M" lettering/emblem still used was designed by Margaret Calvert.

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I don't think so. That one was pure spec work and I hated it.

While at first glance this looks like spec work disguised as a competition (which I am not in favour of), there are two very good clauses in the rules: 1) The winner gets paid to transfer their rights to NS 2) The contest will not replace commercial work from design agencies Good work, NS!

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A beautiful new print in the Transit Maps store – Chicago Rapid Transit Lines, c. 1936. The colors in this are just gorgeous: check out the Loop! transitmap.net/store/produc...

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A beautiful new print in the Transit Maps store – Chicago Rapid Transit Lines, c. 1936. The colors in this are just gorgeous: check out the Loop! transitmap.net/store/produc...

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100% this but just substitute Portland for the midwest.

Transit Maps @transitmap.net · 09/06/2026

If you want to get people excited for your transformative rail project, a dull and boring map that looks like it was designed in 1985 is really NOT the way to do it.

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Mike @mikeyashworth.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

The cover to the June 1932 PRT Route Guide issued by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company with a modernist view of PRT's elevated, streetcar/tram, bus, taxi & limo services against a soaring cityscape. It is by artist Geo. T. Lloyd. #transportation #philadelphia #1930s ↘️ flic.kr/p/2seBzUz

PRT Route Guide : Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company : 1 June 1932 : cover by Geo. T. Lloyd. The small format booklet, with folding system map, issued by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company and corrected to 1 June 1932. It gives details of the many activities of the company whose transit services involved subway and elevated lines, street car and trackless trolley services, bus line, taxi cabs, limousines, a towing service and chartered services. The privately owned PRT had come into existance in 1902 and had an interesting history as it navigated a complex relationship with the city authorities and from the 1920s with its bankers. After over a decade of financial tribulations the PRT was reorganised as the Philadelphia Transportation Company in 1940. The company was eventually sold to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) in 1968.

The striking, modernist cover showing various of the PRT's modes against a background of soaring skyscrapers is signed Geo. T. Lloyd and 1931. The towering buildings as in darker purples with 'sun' gold catching the sides of the structures that stand above a braod boulevard along which limos, taxis, buses and streecars run whilsy on an elevated structure a transit train runs - the vehicles are all in the PRT green livery.

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Transit Maps @transitmap.net · 07/05/2026

I think they just pushed one out in a hurry while they worked on a more permanent solution behind the scenes.

Transit Maps @transitmap.net · 07/05/2026

It's still not amazing, but this is definitely a much-improved effort compared to the previous mess.

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Transit Maps @transitmap.net · 07/04/2026

Oh my word – this is stunning! (And absolutely needs to be preserved properly for future generations)

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Transit Maps @transitmap.net · 07/04/2026

I love the indicator board* at Earls Court – I was staying with family out at East Putney, so I was on that platform a lot and used the board to see which District Line train I could catch to get home. *Australian terminology? That's what we called them in Sydney, anyway.