We stumbled across a collection of NYC subway maps and thought it was interesting that the MTA has produced close to 50 variations of the same subway map design since 1998. Perhaps they're either too busy trying to get robots to drive the L train, or they're too broke because they're lying about their budget, but either way, we've been stuck with the same dreary map since 1998. Perhaps the MTA should do something about it?

They're much more dreary when you view them all together. We're sadists, so check them out in big and/or bigger sizes:

ooooh, that's huge
get that fucking thing away from me!

The past few MTA designs have been pretty dull and tended to look like those subway maps tourists would actually buy in Times Square. We did like a couple of designs, especially this 1958 map and Massimo Vignelli's elegant redesign from 1972:

Here's Vignelli's 1972 map compared to the current MTA map:

*Sorry, I've always wanted to use that Ralph Wiggum reference.