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Interstates as Subway Diagram: 2011 Version
Mar 23, ’11
10:29 AM
Author
Cameron
Categories Design, For Sale, Portfolio Tags Adobe Illustrator, diagram, infographic, map, Portfolio, transit
My original Eisenhower Interstate System in the Style of H.C. Beck’s London Underground Diagram is one of my most successful pieces of design, with almost 85,000 views on Flickr, countless posters sold, and inclusion in the excellent book Mapping America: Exploring the Continent (highly recommended for map geeks!).
However, since I completed it, I have produced quite few more transit-styled diagrams and have learned a lot about the design skills required to produce them. As a result, some elements of the original poster began to grate on my nerves – poor design choices and sloppy technique had produced something that was no longer up to my own personal standards.
So I started again from scratch. Although the two diagrams may look superficially similar, almost every aspect was reevaluated and reworked. Route line colours, line thicknesses and corner radii were tweaked to more closely match the diagram’s inspiration: the London Tube map, and a logo that playfully echoes (without being derivative of!) the famous London Underground roundel was created.
Accuracy is greatly improved on this version, with every endpoint being rechecked: I-55′s southern end is now properly in LaPlace, Louisiana, rather than my previously lazy choice of New Orleans. Similarly, I-93 now threads its way through Boston to rejoin I-95 in Canton, and I-64 extends past St Louis to terminate in Wentzville. I was also able to show the unusual east/west splits in I-35 in Fort Worth/Dallas and Minneapolis/St Paul, and have added more intermediate cities to many of the route lines. Finally, I addressed perhaps the biggest complaint I received on the first version: the omission of Pittsburgh. It now sits nestled between its surrounding interstates (I-70, I-76 and I-79, which form a neat triangle around the city, just as in real life).
As always, comments are welcome. Posters available for purchase once more due to popular demand – click here!
Comments
This is awesome. I would be very interested in buying a poster.
We love it! Great consistency of language: bravo!
I purchased two of the originals as gifts and am sad that I can’t now have one for myself. I hope this one goes into print.
Looks very nice. I noticed Hazelton is spelled incorrectly, though.
I would seriously consider purchasing this as a poster.
Mike, nope: it’s Hazleton, Pennsylvania.
Nope – Hazleton is spelled correctly, at least for the one in Pennsylvania
Excellent work.
You may want to use the official Eisenhower Interstate System sign instead of your roundel but it may take away from your London Undergrown-esque theme.
I suppose using the Interstate shields for the numbers would also detract from the theme.
Anyway here is the sign FYI:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Eisenhower_Interstate_System.svg/600px-Eisenhower_Interstate_System.svg.png
Otherwise great work!
Steve, my earlier version from 2009 used a modified version of the Eisenhower sign, but I wanted this version to be a little cheekier in its callout to its origin. Hence, the Underground-style roundel, but it still uses five stars as a nod back to Eisenhower. Thanks for your comment!
I like this map but why did you choose to omit the node at the intersection of I70 and I81?
Aesthetics, mainly – I thought it would be too crowded with Hancock and Hagerstown right next to each other – Hancock got priority as the terminus of an Interstate.
On the next generation, remember I-22 between Birmingham and Memphis is now open. Very cool map! Really highlights the areas that Aren’t on the Interstate system. Any idea what are the largest towns/cities NOT connected on the map?
Thanks for reminding me about I-22, Geoff! I knew it was close to being open and have actually already plotted it out in my working file, so it will definitely be in the next version! I have often heard that Fresno is the largest city without an Interstate, and I think there are some big cities in Texas without one as well.
This is just awesome! I think you ought to find a publisher here in the states because I alone know a couple of people who would buy one and I’m sure there are many more! Hey man: you worked hard, now reap, REAP!
Just seeing this for the first time via Lifehacker. It’s fantastic!
Is there a reason that Tomah, WI (where I-90 and I-94 divide), is unlabeled? The station symbol looks lonely
You might consider using “Front Royal” instead of “Middletown” as the marker of the intersection of 81 and 66 in Virginia. I know Virginia’s small towns and roads very, very well, and I’d never heard of Middletown. The city that is referred to as the intersection of the two roads is Front Royal, which is a short distance away, and substantially larger than Middletown. I think this is supported conceptually by metros doing the same thing—the names of the stations frequently refer to the major facility or landmark that is a very short distance away, rather than the immediately adjacent street name or location.
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