Metro Music Maps
Over a decade ago, Alexander Chen’s iconic MTA.me turned Massimo Vignelli’s 1972 New York subway map into a live, plucking string instrument. On this map every time an MTA train crosses the track of another line, it twangs like a musical string, transforming the frantic energy of New York's transit grid into a delicate, real-time composition. The itch to turn transit data into music has recently exploded back into the zeitgeist. For example Joshua Wolk’s brilliant interactive map, Train Jazz treats New York City's entire active network as a massive, live jazz ensemble. The map assigns distinct jazz instruments to specific lines based on their real-world personalities. The notoriously spotty F train wobbles on a saxophone like a player struggling to hold a pitch, while the elusive Z train shakes soft maracas only when it actually runs during rush hour. With roughly 800 active trains forming a sprawling combo of walking bass, piano, sax, vibes, and brushes, the harmony...
