North Pointers - Which Maps Were They From?

Not too many guesses about these, but here’s the answers, complete with a link to each relevant map. The answers run across the rows from left to right (1 to 8 on the top row, 9 to 16 on the bottom).

1. Bus Map of Spokane, Washington
2. Los Angeles Metro Map (with its distinctive use of the DIN typeface)
3. Sao Paulo Metropolitan Transportation Network
4. Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany (not New York, as was guessed)
5. GO Transit, Toronto and Ontario, Canada
6. MARTA Rail System, Atlanta, Georgia
7. Freshwater Commuter Rail, Detroit (fictional but beautifully executed!)
8. Washington, DC Metro Rush+ Map
9. Barcelona, Spain
10. Erik Hammink’s Amsterdam Metro Map
11. My own version of the Washington, DC Map (the shape echoes that of the District Diamond that features so prominently in the map itself)
12. Bus Routes of Sherbrooke, Quebec (one of the best parts of this map!)
13. EmX Bus Rapid Transit Map, Eugene/Springfield, Oregon
14. Metro do Porto, Portugal (love this one!)
15. Tram Map of Strasbourg, France (most generic north pointer ever!)
16. Maryland MTA Regional Transit Map

On the Subject of North Pointers

I’m always disappointed when a transit map uses a boring, generic north pointer (when they use them; many diagrammatic maps eschew the use of a north pointer). I see them as an opportunity to craft something that matches and enhances the look and mood of the map: a tiny element that helps bring the whole piece together.

Here’s a selection of some of the best and worst pointers from maps that have been featured on Transit Maps to date. How many can you identify?