Public Transport Maps Research Articles

The public transport navigation system

Public transport maps are typically designed in a way to support route finding tasks for passengers, while they also provide an overview about stations, metro lines, and city-specific attractions. Most of those maps are designed as a static representation, maybe placed in a metro station or printed in a travel guide. In this paper, we describe a dynamic, interactive public transport map visualization enhanced by additional views for the dynamic passenger data on different levels of temporal granularity. Moreover, we also allow extra statistical information in form of density plots, calendar-based visualizations, and line graphs. All this information is linked to the contextual metro map to give a viewer insights into the relations between time points and typical routes taken by the passengers. We also integrated a graph-based view on user-selected routes, a way to interactively compare those routes, an attribute- and property-driven automatic computation of specific routes for one map as well as for all available maps in our repertoire, and finally, also the most important sights in each city are included as extra information to include in a user-selected route. We illustrate the usefulness of our interactive visualization and map navigation system by applying it to the railway system of Hamburg in Germany while also taking into account the extra passenger data. As another indication for the usefulness of the interactively enhanced metro maps we conducted a controlled user experiment with 20 participants.Graphical abstract

Better in Pictures

Better in Pictures

Design strategies for airline route maps, learning from the past

Design strategies for airline route maps, learning from the past

Exploring eye movement data with image-based clustering

In this article, we describe a new feature for exploring eye movement data based on image-based clustering. To reach this goal, visual attention is taken into account to compute a list of thumbnail images from the presented stimulus. These thumbnails carry information about visual scanning strategies, but showing them just in a space-filling and unordered fashion does not support the detection of patterns over space, time, or study participants. In this article, we present an enhancement of the EyeCloud approach that is based on standard word cloud layouts adapted to image thumbnails by exploiting image information to cluster and group the thumbnails that are visually attended.To also indicate the temporal sequence of the thumbnails, we add color-coded links and further visual features to dig deeper in the visual attention data. The usefulness of the technique is illustrated by applying it to eye movement data from a formerly conducted eye tracking experiment investigating route finding tasks in public transport maps. Finally, we discuss limitations and scalability issues of the approach.Graphic abstract

A Geospatial Analysis of Freestanding and Hospital Emergency Department Accessibility via Public Transit.

IntroductionEmergency departments (ED) are an important source of care for underserved populations and represent a significant part of the social safety net. In order to explore the effect of freestanding emergency departments (FSED) on access to care for urban underserved populations, we performed a geospatial analysis comparing the proximity of FSEDs and hospital EDs to public transit lines in three United States (U.S.) metropolitan areas: Houston, Denver, and Cleveland.MethodsWe used publicly available U.S. Census data, public transportation maps obtained from regional transit authorities, and geocoded FSED and hospital ED locations. Euclidean distance from each FSED and hospital ED to the nearest public transit line was calculated in ArcGIS. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) of an FSED, relative to a hospital ED, being located within 0.5 miles (mi) of a public transit line using logistic regression, adjusting for population density and median household income and with error clustered at the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) level.ResultsThe median distance from FSEDs to public transit lines was significantly greater than from hospital EDs across all three markets. In Houston, Denver, and Cleveland, the median distance between FSEDs and public transit lines was greater than from hospital EDs by 1.0 mi, 0.2 mi, and 1.6 mi, respectively. The OR of a public transit line being located within 0.5 mi of an FSED, as compared with a hospital ED, across all three MSAs was 0.21 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.13–0.34) unadjusted and 0.20 (95% CI, 0.11–0.40) adjusted for population density and median household income.ConclusionIn comparison with hospital EDs, FSEDs are located farther from public transit lines and are less likely to be within walking distance of public transportation. These findings suggest that FSEDs are unlikely to directly increase access to care for patients without private means of transportation. Further research is necessary to explore both the direct and indirect impact of FSEDs on access to care, potentially through effects on hospital ED crowding and overall healthcare expenditures, as well as the ultimate role and responsibility of FSEDs in improving access to care for underserved populations.

Detour and break optimising distance, a new perspective on transport and urbanism

By studying the mathematical properties of metrics, we identify three fundamental characteristics of distance, which are optimality, detour and break. In this paper, we explore the implications of these properties for transport planning, urbanism and spatial planning. We state that distances contain the idea of optimum and that any distance is associated to a search for optimisation. Pedestrian movements obey this principle and sometimes depart from designed routes. Local sub-optimality conveyed by public transport maps has to be corrected by interventions on public space to relieve the load on central parts of networks. The second principle we state is that detour in distances is most often a means to optimise movement. Fast transport systems generate most of the detour observed in geographical spaces at regional scale. This is why detour has to be taken into account in regional transport policies. The third statement is that breaks in movement contribute to optimising distances. Benches, cafés, pieces of art, railway stations are examples of the urban break. These facilities of break represent an urban paradox: they organise the possibility of a break, of a waste of time in a trip, and they also contribute to optimising distances in a wider network. In that sense, break should be considered as a relevant principle for the design of urban space in order to support a pedestrian-oriented urban form.

IndoorTubes A Novel Design for Indoor Maps

Efforts within cartography on indoor maps have previously not received a lot of attention. Work that has been carried out on indoor maps often focus on map design very similar to an architectural style (Klippel et al. 2006; Ciavarella and Paternò 2004). In some cases the design has been of a more novel character where approaches with augmented and virtual realities have been carried out (Radoczky 2007; Müller et al. 2006). Common to these approaches is the depiction of one floor per map. As well, the primary user task is often solely personal navigation. In this article I present an innovative approach to indoor maps. The design is directly inspired by underground tube maps first developed by Harry Beck (Garland 1994) and today a common design for public transport maps. The main advantages of the map design are its simplicity and the possibility of including all floors in one map view. This allows the map user to easier comprehend the structure of the building without using several maps, as commonly needed with today's indoor map designs. I present several different map styles each intended to satisfy different user groups and tasks depending on the user's familiarity with the environment. In addition the article motivate for new application areas suitable for indoor maps, especially large hospitals. I hypothesize that the design proposed in this article leans very well to displaying real-time dynamic geospatial information, such as patients, staff, equipment and room availability within hospitals. Due to the early phase of the work presented here I outline the needed further work and possibilities of technological platforms as well as evaluations necessary in order for the design to gain acceptance and success.

Quantum cosmological metroland model

Relational particle mechanics is useful for modelling whole-universe issues such as quantum cosmology or the problem of time in quantum gravity, including some aspects outside the reach of comparably complex mini-superspace models. In this paper, we consider the mechanics of pure shape and not scale of four particles on a line, so that the only physically significant quantities are ratios of relative separations between the constituents' physical objects. Many of our ideas and workings extend to the N-particle case. As such models' configurations resemble depictions of metro lines in public transport maps, we term them ‘N-stop metrolands’. This 4-stop model's configuration space is a 2-sphere, from which our metroland mechanics interpretation is via the ‘cubic’ tessellation. This model yields conserved quantities which are mathematically SO(3) objects like angular momenta but are physically relative dilational momenta (i.e. coordinates dotted with momenta). We provide and interpret various exact and approximate classical and quantum solutions for 4-stop metroland; from these results one can construct expectations and spreads of shape operators that admit interpretations as relative sizes and the ‘homogeneity of the model universe's contents’, and also objects of significance for the problem of time in quantum gravity (e.g. in the naïve Schrödinger and records theory timeless approaches).

The Influence of Map Design on Route Choice from Public Transportation Maps in Urban Areas

Based on a user study in the Internet, this research analyses how map design and annotated network information in public transportation maps affect utilized proxy criteria when planning the fastest route in an intra-urban transportation network. Further, it is examined whether annotated network information on schematic maps affects the map reader in successfully finding the fastest route within the trip planning process. For this second task, a schematic map and maps with annotated headways, departure times and current positions of transit vehicles are compared.

Conveying Geospatial Public Transport Information on the World-Wide Web: a Review of the United Kingdom Sources

The Geospatial Public Transport Information available for the United Kingdom on the World-Wide Web is evaluated. Searches for relevant websites were made at different geographical scales; the breadth of content covered and level of technology used was assessed for each site found. Public Transport Maps on each website were rated according to eleven aspects of cartographic design and Web functionality. It was found that interactivity (represented by the use of higher technology) was greater for websites giving Public Transport Information for larger areas; however, the majority of information was communicated through text or static maps. The use of colour and symbology was generally found to be good in Public Transport Web maps, but marginalia was often insufficient and hardcopy printing sometimes inadequate, limiting the usability of the maps. A number of guidelines for good practice in the production of Public Transport Web maps are suggested, stressing the importance of clarity and legibility, plus some comments on website functionality.

Public Transport Maps in Western European Cities

The author toured 25 cities in 11 countries of western Europe during 1995, in order to study their public transport maps and to meet the people responsible for them. He found distinct French, Scandinavian, and Dutch styles in addition to the classic style of public transport map. Rules are proposed to govern the choice of mapping method, based on the number of transport modes, number of transport services, amount of overlap, and the use of colour coding in the streets. Schematic maps, resembling the London Underground map, are preferable for underground railways, but are definitely not suitable for buses. Factors in the design which need particular attention include: amount of base map detail, map size and purpose, emphasising the name of the terminus, the problem of insets, panels at interchange points, and background colours. Types of maps, previously rarely used, which should now be economically feasible since the introduction of computer mapping, include: maps of subsets, stop-specific route maps, and 'octopus' bus maps of districts. For these proposals to be put into practice, GIS and graphics software, skills and data, found in different departments, will have to be brought together. A checklist is provided to ensure that the best results are obtained with the classic style.

Public Transport Maps in Western European Cities

Public Transport Maps in Western European Cities

Why are French public transport maps so distinctive compared with those of Germany and Spain?

AbstractFrench public transport maps have a uniform style, in that they attempt to show each bus line by a different colour. Maps of different French towns attempt different solutions to the obvious problems which result, according to the number of different bus services, the service numbering conventions, and the spatial pattern of bus lines. Colours fade differentially in the Mediterranean sun. Digital methods have been recently introduced. These can facilitate the deliberate distortion of scale as an aid to legibility. In contrast, German and Spanish maps of public transport networks differ in style within each country, and from the French maps. The reasons must be sought in differences between the three countries in: (a) the modes of public transport used, (b) the amount of subsidy to public transport, and (c) the degree of political centralisation.