MTA launches live NYC subway map to show trains in real-time

the metropolitan transportation authority (MTA) has launched a live digital map that lets users navigate the new york subway system in real-time. the ambitious project marks the subway map’s first major redesign in four decades, replacing the design by unimark international and michael hertz associates seen widely on printed maps today. the live map seeks to merge the best features of the existing printed map with massimo vignelli’s approach by overlaying clear and detailed track routes atop a geographically-correct street grid that becomes more detailed as the user zooms in.

all images and video courtesy of work & co

the new map, which allows riders to plan trips more easily by taking into account service changes and seeing train movements as they happen, is the byproduct of an 18 month-long, public-private partnership between the MTA, the transit innovation partnership, and brooklyn-based global design and technology firm work & co. currently in its beta phase, the map, which can be accessed here, will ultimately serve as the primary interactive means for moving around the subway system.

work & co designed and developed the web-based digital tool on a completely pro bono basis with the goal of making the lives of new yorkers easier. the map allows passengers to navigate the system in an intuitive and digital way. customers will no longer have to read through printed station signage to determine how they should travel throughout the system.

‘we saw an opportunity to help new york city by building a tool appropriate for our time,’ explains felipe memoria, founding partner at work & co. ‘as designers we admire the history of the MTA’s legendary printed maps, but technology enables us to create something more powerful. the live subway map design incorporates the geometric clarity of massimo vignelli’s diagram with the geographical and organic curves of the hertz map. with this new tool, train lines are up-to-date, and service changes are represented visually. we are laying the foundation for transit systems around the world to adopt real-time maps that further encourage the use of public transportation.’

a key benefit of the digital map is a feature to customize individual rider journeys. with just a few taps, a time filter allows users to decide if they want to view current train service or future service with ‘now’, ‘tonight’, and ‘weekend’ options. by selecting ‘tonight’, a user can see what the map will look like after 9pm to reflect nighttime service changes. when users tap on a specific station, they’ll see information that lists the trains that arrive at that station, and the arrival times for any train scheduled to arrive within an hour.

‘this beta map is part of a variety of efforts we’re taking to provide our customers with tools to help ensure their trips are as easy and dependable as possible,’ says sarah feinberg, interim president of new york city transit. ‘we want rider feedback as we continue to develop this exciting new tool. especially valuable at a time when the MTA is facing a fiscal crisis of unprecedented magnitude because of COVID-19, I want to thank work & co for this incredible contribution to the transit system and to all new yorkers.’ the live subway map will continue to evolve based upon user feedback, which can be submitted through the map site.

‘the map’ (work & co x gary hustwit, 2020)

‘the map’ (work & co x gary hustwit, 2020) is a short documentary about a revolutionary redesign of new york city’s iconic subway map. filmmaker gary hustwit documents the process as digital agency work & co creates the new ‘live map’ to help new yorkers and tourists better plan their journeys. the film examines the evolution of wayfinding and user interfaces, and shows how good design and the latest digital technology can simplify one of the world’s most complex transit systems. featuring felipe memoria, rachel haot, sarah meyer, joshua gee, marcela abbade, karina sirqueira, robert penner, and mohan ramaswamy.