Transit System Maps: Visual Artifacts and Storytelling Devices

This chapter explores a book that showcases historical transit system maps from 23 cities in the US and Canada as stunning visual artifacts. It discusses how these maps tell a story and depict the evolution of each city's transit system, allowing readers to imagine a future where certain transit options still exist. The chapter also highlights the narratives and experiences of different cities in relation to their mass transit systems, including the stalled progress of the Second Avenue subway in New York City and the unique choices made by Vancouver to build an elevated subway system.