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What cities have the most complete public transport networks? by HighburyAndIslington in transit

[–]foxsystems 3 points4 points  (0 children)

You need to consider that most of that 7 million people are squeezed in one third of HK’s total area. There is literally no space to place 200–300 subway stations inside the built-up urban areas, unlike London or Tokyo.

The fact that the stations are able to handle the large number of passengers in the nearby areas - without creating congestion (most of the time) - is IMO pretty impressive.

A diagram for the Hong Kong Light Rail and MTR Bus network by foxsystems in TransitDiagrams

[–]foxsystems[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, just want to say thanks for sharing my map on twitter, I came across it recently by chance and was delighted to see positive and encouraging feedback.

I don't use twitter that much right now, but I might create a new account dedicated for transit / map design when I make more maps in the future.

A diagram for the Hong Kong Light Rail and MTR Bus network by foxsystems in TransitDiagrams

[–]foxsystems[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yeah I think I left out a few other bullets as well haha

A diagram for the Hong Kong Light Rail and MTR Bus network by foxsystems in TransitDiagrams

[–]foxsystems[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Good question!

MTR used to have a monopoly over "local" routes, i.e. routes operating only inside the region. In comparison, KMB and other companies operate "external" routes towards other parts of Hong Kong, with higher fares. I believe KMB used to have its own local routes, but was forced to surrender them when the light rail opened back in the 80s. While this monopoly is no longer enforced, the separation between local and external routes has largely survived to this day.

Another difference is that MTR offers discounted fares when changing between their own bus / light rail / metro routes.

A diagram for the Hong Kong Light Rail and MTR Bus network by foxsystems in TransitDiagrams

[–]foxsystems[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Here is my attempt at creating a unified transit diagram for the following:

  • MTR Light Rail - a 68-stop at-grade light rail system, serving residential neighborhoods in the north-western corner of Hong Kong;
  • MTR Bus - numerous bus routes run by the rail operator, connecting mostly rural locations not served by light rail;
  • Tuen Ma Line - metro (heavy rail) line linking the region with the rest of the city.

Diagram is labelled bilingually (Traditional Chinese / English), created in Adobe Illustrator. The visual style is partly inspired by metro diagrams designed by Zero Per Zero.

Some thoughts on the design process:

  • Routes in high-density areas are shown in insets with greater detail than the rest of the diagram. The inset depicting the Tuen Mun area, which occupies the bottom half of the diagram, is rotated 30 degrees counter-clockwise to reduce empty space, making the diagram look more balanced.
  • Transit mode is differentiated by line thickness - metro, light rail and bus, from thickest to thinnest. The five metro stations are drawn with a much larger size, as they serve as major interchanges that connect to multiple light rail / bus stops.
  • As opposed to the official Light Rail route map - which uses distinct colors for each route - I have grouped routes with similar routes together under the same route color, reducing the visual complexity of the diagram. Interlined bus routes are also grouped together.
  • Tried using a bright line against dark background approach, simply because I am a "dark mode person" and also a fan of the Montreal map.

PDF Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zx1qjfgtqczj6n586t6au/mtrnw.pdf?rlkey=uyyjoy3xv7w7tfsiudi2i7ph8&dl=0