Via DCist, Lydia DePillis reviews options for Metro’s rail map redesign in anticipation of Silver Line service. I like Cameron Booth’s proposal, a Vignelli-ish elongation of the design elements that also incorporates connections to commuter rail. DePillis touches my hot button:
…the most infuriating part of the map for graphic designers are the absurdly long station names that have crept into the system over the years, like “U St./African-Amer Civil War Memorial/Cardozo” and “Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan.” They have to be squished in diagonally and even break over route lines—a no-no to transit design purists. … just a brief glance at the now-barely-readable fare charts in stations, after “peak of the peak” pricing debuted, shows how confusing signage gets when it tries to convey too much.