For this installment of Deep Drive, we’re unrolling the maps and diving into the fascinating world of transit maps, how they work, and how PSTA uses them to communicate a complex bus system that anyone can understand.

PSTA is currently in the process of redesigning its bus system through the Connected Community Bus Network (CCBN). Previously called the Community Bus Plan, the Connected Community Bus Network is a system-wide planning effort to find ways to enhance the PSTA bus network, focusing on providing increased opportunity and access to residents through changes to bus routes and schedules. 

In light of this exciting new redesign, we wanted to nerd out about transit maps and explore the surprisingly difficult task of representing a transit system in map form. Let’s talk transit maps!

The History of Transit Maps Around the World

Transit maps have been around for a long time. In fact, you could argue that the very first transit is actually the Tabula Peutingeriana or “Peutinger's Tabula,” a 13-inch tall, 22-foot wide oddity of a map showing the road system of the Roman Empire from the year 1200 (learn more about Peutinger’s Tabula here). More recent historical transit maps include the railway maps of the 1890s and the 1908 map of London’s District Line.

1890 map of Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway Co. and its connections.
(Courtesy of the Union Pacific Museum)

1908 London Underground pocket map.
(Courtesy of the London Transit Museum)

However, the geography displayed in these two map examples is relatively accurate. A bit too accurate. You see, modern transit maps often simplify the geography to make the map more legible, aesthetically pleasing, and easier to understand. Accurate shorelines are made into straight lines and fixed angles. Outer areas of the system are shrunk and inner areas are expanded. The transit maps you see today take liberties with an area’s geography, turning topographical maps into schematic diagrams, a process called schematization.

A side-by-side of a geographical map of New York City (left) and a schematic subway map (right) based on Massimo Vignelli’s 1972 New York Subway Map. Note the simplified straight lines and angles of the transit map compared to how NYC actually looks.
(Public domain)

Click here to see more comparisons from well-known transit systems around the world.

So, while you wouldn’t want to use a transit map to study the shoreline of the East River in Manhattan, the simplified subway map cuts out all the details and tells the transit riders exactly what they need to know at a glance. Now, not all transit maps take such a drastic approach to altering the geography, but most transit maps do make some changes to simplify the information. Debates between a geographic transit map versus a schematic transit map have been raging since George Dow’s first 1929 diagrammatic map of the London and North Eastern Railway.

The first diagrammatic transit map by George Dow for the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), 1929.
(Courtesy of Transitmaps.net)

Now that we’ve covered the history of transit maps, let’s talk about the different types of maps that exist today and what they’re used for.

Current Transit Maps in Pinellas County

At PSTA, we communicate information about our bus system in two main ways: route schedules and system maps. Route schedules are tri-folded brochures that show a diagrammatic or “stick map” of the route at the top. Below the stick map are the route timetables, which show the approximate arrival times at each timepoint, which are indicated with circled letters. You can think of timepoints as little anchor points along the route, allowing you to estimate when the bus will arrive at the stops in between each timepoint.

The first page of a route schedule for Route 14.
(PSTA Archives)

Route schedules are great tools for people who already know what route they need to take. But what about folks who are new to the area or visiting and want to get an idea of PSTA’s entire system?

Enter the system map:

PSTA’s current system map, as of 2022.
(PSTA Archives)

The purpose of a system map is to demonstrate how the routes are connected and work together, showing the system at its peak operation when all routes are running. However, many system maps do not convey reality, as not all routes are operating at once as it appears on the map. The system map has limitations—it cannot show when each route operates and how often. That is why route schedules are essential to offer details about stops, frequency, and arrival times.

PSTA’s current system map, like many transit systems around the world, is a culmination of trial and error throughout the decades. With each major change to a transit system, new versions of system maps will be required. Let’s take a look at the evolution of system maps specifically in Pinellas County.

The Evolution of System Maps in Pinellas

To our knowledge, the very first system map for public transit in Pinellas County was produced by the St. Petersburg Municipal Transit System (SPMTS). The map below shows the streetcar and bus routes operated in St. Petersburg circa 1942, including the famous Gulfport Line that connected St. Petersburg to Gulfport.

SPMTS system map, showing both street car lines and bus routes in southern Pinellas County c. 1942.
(PSTA Archives)

While it may not count as an official system map for public distribution, SPMTS’ master route plan gives us a cool look at what an early service change (planned routing or timing changes to one or more routes) may have looked like in the 70s.

A photograph of the St. Petersburg Municipal Transit System’s master route plan—an early example of a service change.
(PSTA Archives)

Between 1973 and 1984, Pinellas County had two transit agencies—SPMTS in southern Pinellas County and Central Pinellas Transit Authority (CPTA) for the rest of Pinellas. Sadly, CPTA’s system map has been lost to time. However, we do still have route schedules from CPTA, one of which can be seen below.

One of the first CPTA route schedules, April 1st, 1973.
(PSTA Archives)

Want to learn more about the history of public transit in Pinellas County and how SPMTS and CPTA came to be? Click here to check out our three-part blog series on the entire story of transit in Pinellas!

Too Simple or Too Complex

Let’s fast forward to the 90s. After the complex merger of SPMTS and CPTA, PSTA would begin in 1984. And by the 90s, PSTA would release one of its first modern system maps.

PSTA’s 1995 system map.
(PSTA Archives)

While simplicity is one of the main purposes of a system map, the 90s map is perhaps too simplistic. The red routes indicate standard local fixed-route service and the blue represents limited, special routes… and that’s about it. It’s a minimalist approach that fails to communicate anything else about the system.

PSTA would overcorrect for this lack of information by providing a bit too much information in the 2010s.

PSTA’s 2018 system map.
(PSTA Archives)

The 2018 system map overwhelms you with information, made even worse by the bloated “Places to Visit” section in the upper left-hand corner. The legend is packed with text. Inset maps are everywhere. Chaos in the streets. In the distance, sirens can be heard.

But we jest, this map isn’t all that bad. But it and even our current system map fail to identify a key feature that most general maps have: weighted lines to indicate high-traffic roads. What do we mean by “weighted lines”? Let’s take a look at how our good friends at CapMetro in Austin, Texas make certain route lines thicker to indicate bigger, busier roads or routes.

CapMetro’s current system map. Note how route lines have different thicknesses to indicate busier core routes and roadways.
(Courtesy of CapMetro)

This feature is something PSTA plans to add to future system maps once the Connected Community Bus Network goes into effect. But don’t worry, we’ll talk more on that in just a moment!

Filling in the Gaps

Like many things in life, system maps have been somewhat supplanted by technological advances and smartphones. Transit app and PSTA’s Real-Time service now allow riders an interactive view of routes and their bus’s approximate location, filling in the gaps route schedules and system maps can’t cover. The Transit app is by far the most powerful transit tool for riders, providing step-by-step directions of what routes to take, where to transfer, and how long the entire trip will take based on current route timing.

An example of the Transit app’s step-by-step route instructions.

However, the Transit app doesn’t show our system as a network. Instead, it simply shows your local ecosystem and where you’re going trip by trip rather than showing you the entire network and how the routes work together. System maps still have the transit tech beat in that department!

Redesigning PSTA’s Transit System

So, what will PSTA’s next system map look like? Well, we already have an idea of that thanks to the tireless work PSTA staff have been doing on the Connected Community Bus Network (CCBN). The CCBN is PSTA’s most ambitious, complete redesign of our current bus network. The project, previously called the Community Bus Plan, has been underway for over a year and has been collecting rider feedback through various surveys, outreach events, and public comment opportunities.

Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in Florida, and yet it is one of the smallest by land size. And our population is steadily growing—since 2010, Pinellas’ population has increased by 5% with an average of 3,524 people per square mile. Because the entire county has already been developed, the influx of new residents and visitors requires denser development patterns and, most importantly, a better-connected and optimized bus network.

One of the CCBN’s big goals is to have all routes operating seven days a week. As mentioned before, our current system map represents our bus network at its peak with all routes operating at once, but it doesn’t convey the reality of any given day of service, as some routes don’t operate on certain days. With the CCBN, the new system map would represent the entire network because all routes run every day. This will allow the network to be more reliable and interconnected for our riders.

Want to see the current draft transit maps for our proposed network redesign? Check out these neat slider maps that compare the current network and the proposed network:

• Countywide Draft Network Slider
• North County Draft Nerwork Slider
• South County Draft Network Slider

We hope this Deep Drive into the world of transit maps has given you a better understanding of the ever-evolving effort to improve the way we communicate transit networks. Through the CCBN, PSTA hopes to create its best system map yet thanks to the collaboration and feedback from the community—from people like you. Our next system map will be the best one yet because of the public input we receive, allowing us to build a better network for everyone in Pinellas County.

Want to get involved in the Connected Community Bus Network?
Click here to learn more about the project and provide your feedback!

Sources

Franzen, Carl. “History’s Greatest Transit Maps.” Lyft, 17 Jan. 2023, www.lyft.com/blog/posts/historys-greatest-transit-maps.

“Historical Map: George Dow Diagram of LNER Great Northern Suburban Services, 1929.” Transit Maps, 26 Nov. 2019, transitmap.net/george-dow-lner/.

Lloyd, Peter. “History and Design of Transit Maps.” Peterblloyd.Com, www.peterblloyd.com/transit/. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

“Map; Pocket Underground Map Issued by UERL, 1908.” London Transport Museum, 6 Mar. 2024, www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/collections-online/maps/item/2002-264.

Richman-Abdou, Kelly. “Animated Gifs Reveal Differences Between Subway Maps and Their Actual Geography.” My Modern Met, 9 June 2017, mymodernmet.com/animated-subway-maps/.

Shuback, Jeremy. “The First Transit Map: Long Before the Tube Map.” YouTube, YouTube, 9 Aug. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAPQR3mqzAM&t=154s.

“Union Pacific Railroad Museum.” Unionpacific.Canto.Com, unionpacific.canto.com/v/UnionPacificCollection/allfiles?viewIndex=2. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.