Visualizing public transport networks: an experiment in Zurich

Please click here to download the map associated with this article. Transportation has long been a subject of mapping. However, there is still very little guidance available to a mapmaker looking for guidelines on how to create properly a schematic map for showing routes of a public transport system. Creating an aesthetically pleasing and easily understandable cartographic representation of a public transport network for thousands or millions of passengers is a challenging task. The need for design strategies based on cartographic principles grows as many GIS practitioners use routes as a base for analysis and mapping. This paper gives a list of aspects to be considered in the visualization of a public transport network and presents two cartographic alternatives for depicting the transport network of the City of Zurich.