NY: MTA releases new NYC subway map recalling iconic 1972 Vignelli design

The MTA released Wednesday the first wholesale update of the New York City subway map in nearly 50 years, reminiscent of the iconic 1972 subway map designed by Massimo Vignelli.

“It’s not every day that we get to unveil a new New York City icon,” MTA Chairman Janno Lieber told reporters, adding that the map was the first wholesale revision of the critical Gotham resource in decades.

The new map, with clean lines and blocky landscapes, is meant for easy legibility and to help riders parse transfers.

“The wayfinding is so much simpler, the colors are bold — it’s just reader friendly,” said Shanifah Rieara, the MTA’s chief customer officer, whose team headed up the project.

“It’s simpler to read, especially with respect to the connections,” Lieber added, “[And there’s] a little more accuracy in the geography than the old map.”

The original 1972 Vignelli design, known for its geometric angles and sleek look, has become something of a cult classic among New Yorkers. The map was short lived, however — pulled in 1979 over concerns it didn’t reflect the street-level geography of the city.

Its replacement, designed by Michael Hertz, is familiar to any straphanger, with organic shapes, muted colors, and frequent references to the street grid and other surface features.

Over the years, the natural geography of the Hertz map became distorted as it was redesigned to present more information and make system transfers clearer.

The MTA has been quietly rolling out the new Vignelli-inspired design on digital screens and its online Weekender map for the past few years. But as of Wednesday, officials said, it was ready for the big time — ready to be printed with paper and ink.

The new 2025 map differs from its 1972 inspiration with bolder colors, but also with references to other systems — the map shows riders the nearby routes of Amtrak, Metro North, Long Island Rail Road and the PATH system as well.

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