The making of the Moscow Metro map 3.0

Vestibule map

Choosing the map for cars as the base for the vestibule map. Decreasing the typeface size, adding the background, major parks and landmarks.

This is the first map where the star moves to the center and ceases to mark the Kremlin.

Making the steering wheel of the Borovitsky Sad transfer hub smaller. It turns out, it was easy.

metro map3 process4 steering wheel

Straightening the navy line.

metro map3 process4 straight blue line

This resulted in the tail of the blue line bending unsightly so we straighten it out as well.

metro map3 process4 blue erect

Sending to the art director and waiting for comments.

metro map3 process4 to tema 01

The art director responds that the small steering wheel is bad and the transfer hub at Kiyevskaya should be the same size as the rest of the triple transfer stations. Trying to make Kievskaya smaller.

metro map3 process4 small kievskaya interchange

Kievskaya, Studencheskaya and everything between the blue and the navy lines become very crowded. Reverting the changes. Adding the large steering wheel back with pleasure, since otherwise there is absolutely no space for Aleksandrovsky Sad.

metro map3 process4 big wheel again

At this point we want to see the resulting map. Testing it with the coordinate grid. Everything looks good.

metro map3 process4 first grid

Searching for the best way to show the Moscow Central Circle dotted line.

To make sure station names are at an equal distance from the lines on the entire map, adding a semi-transparent outline to all the lines.

metro map3 process4 stroke for text

This makes the Moscow Central Circle look funny.

metro map3 process4 dotted mkzd stroke align

Drawing the railway lines around Moscow.

metro map3 process4 transitmap with railways

To unload the top of the map and find some space between the Central Circle and the fifth line, we slightly decrease the size of the Circle line. This gives us some space and the feeling that it’s going to result in more problems than simple relocation of transfer stations. It turns out to be true.

We can move the transfer stations covering two lines fairly easily. The triple transfers however require rearranging lines. Moving the yellow line to the bottom to achieve equal interval between the red, navy and yellow lines. But this wreaks havoc in the center. Undoing. Raising up the navy line and moving down the horizontal part of the purple line to make sure it bends after Kuznetsky Most.

Simply decreasing the size of the Central line and moving the transfer stations is not enough. To keep the center as it is now, we need to take a screenshot of the good arrangement, overlay the map on top of it and move the lines to match it.

metro map3 process4 redraw lines inside circle

But in this case this works only in part since we are losing the grid. The grid is constructed based on the following rules: at the northern part of the map distances between horizontal and between diagonal lines are equal. Bends of purple—navy, green—red and gray—orange line pairs start at the same height. Drawing a menorah to make alignment easier. There is also a line for the yellow line there, but it’s not as funny with it, so it we turned it off for the screenshot.

metro map3 process4 menorah

The map arranged using this grid turns out to be very nice.

Learning from the news that a new Ramenskoe airport is going to open soon. It will later be renamed to Zhukovsky. Trying it out for the future.

metro map3 process4 airexpress to zim

Untangling the intercity train lines in the northwest that have been bothering us. Looking at before and after shots.

Choosing the style of transfers between the Metro and the Moscow Central Circle and intercity trains.

metro map3 process4 secondary interchanges variants

Different circles at transfers turn Metro lines into bicycle chains, which is why we connect railway platforms with Metro stations with dots and no additional designations.

metro map3 process4 small interchanges

We need to open the Moscow Central Circle (at this point called the Second Circle line), rename the stations and add the Third Transfer Contour. Using the solution from map 3.1.

metro map3 process4 vestibul map with tpk

By now, the Second Circle line (at this point called the Moscow Central Circle) acquires the glow on the map for cars. The next day it’s glowing on the vestibule map, too.

metro map3 process4 lightsaber vest map
metro map3 process4 lightsaber vest map whole

Making final changes, typesetting the legend and the index and sending everything to be printed.