It’s always fun to do a “before and after” comparison, and here’s a fantastic example of how a well-drawn diagrammatic map can offer enhanced system legibility over a more geographically-based map.
The old map (top), dating from October 2014, is pretty terrible work. Towns and cities are in the right geographical location, but are simply joined by straight lines, which creates a difficult-to-read “spider web” of interconnecting and overlapping routes. Rail lines are shown as both purple and grey, depending on whether or not they’re part of the ‘myki’ fare system, while coach routes are dashed gray lines. This dual role for grey adds some more confusion to the mix! An inset is required for the Melbourne metropolitan area, as it can’t be shown properly on a scale map of all of Victoria. About the only thing this map does better than the new one is to indicate which myki zone a railway station is in – although even this is coarsely handled, by way of a number appended to the station’s name.
The new map (bottom), introduced in June 2015, takes a diagrammatic approach, and is far, far more legible and understandable. All routes are now purple, but each has a distinctive and recognisable pattern that immediately distinguishes it from the the other modes: solid for ‘myki’ V/Line trains, dashed for regional “paper ticket” trains and double-stroked for coach lines. The Melbourne metro area has been expanded in size to easily accommodate all the stations that were previously on the inset, and there’s even room to indicate the SkyBus service from Southern Cross to the airport.
Although the diagram is undoubtedly better than the map, the particulars of the coach routes still aren’t always clear – especially in western Victoria where there’s just a big grid of route lines with few clear start and end points. Still, the map certainly gives a better idea of all the destinations available, if not all the particulars (time to refer to a schedule!).
Our rating: Old map – 2 stars. New map: 3.5 stars. Much better!
Source: New map from official PTV website