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NYC subway map gets first full redesign since 1979
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Apr 2, 2025
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Marc A. Hermann / MTA
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Apr 2, 2025
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The MTA on Wednesday announced plans to roll out its first fully redesigned subway map in more than 40 years, a move transit officials said will make New York City’s byzantine transit system easier to navigate.
The new design aims to clearly identify subway routes that share the same tracks in stretches of the city. Its design combines the type of chunky lines that were on the MTA’s subway map that officials put in place during the 1970s, which was created by famous Italian designer Massimo Vignelli. That map was retired in 1979 because MTA leaders said it was hard to understand, and replaced it with a new design that’s only undergone minor tweaks since.
Courtesy MTA
The “new” map isn’t entirely new: MTA has since 2021 tested the new design on some digital screens in subway stations and on its website. Crews will install the new design on every subway car and station over the next few weeks, officials said.
MTA Chair Janno Lieber said the new map “is much easier to read, but also reflects all the enhancements that we've made over the years and still preserves the spirit of the previous versions.”
The redesign eliminates references to several city landmarks, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Like its predecessors, it's not drawn to scale, and contorts the shape of the city to fit the five boroughs neatly into a square. The new layout also identifies which stations are accessible to riders with disabilities, as well as where riders can make free out-of-station transfers.
MTA officials said the old map will still be available on the agency’s website.
Tagged
new york city
transportation
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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