Oh dear, a tube map so riddled with errors that it will probably keep error spotters busy for the next few years.

TfL has launched a new version of the Tube map, which shows how many steps it takes to walk between stations in zones 1 and 2.

The new map is the first “official” version to show the number of steps between stations. It follows TfL’s Walking Tube map, which launched last year and shows the walking times between stations

walking-tube-map

Of course, what is a step? My step is probably longer than most people, so the number of steps between stations will be fewer.

TfL helpfully notes that this map is based on a moderate walking speed of 100 steps per minute.

Ahhh, so the steps presented are simply an average journey time divided into 100 steps.

Now, I am a fast walker, but even I would struggle to walk between Canary Wharf and North Greenwich in 76 minutes. Two hours from North Greenwich to Canning Town?

walking-tube-map-02

If you can work out how to walk from Clapham Junction to Imperial Wharf in the suggested 36 minutes, I’d love to know.

In essence, a “tube map” promoting walking is a good idea, especially when limited to just areas where it makes sense. Realistically, is someone going to ditch the tube for a half-hour walk between Bermondsey and London Bridge because of this map? I highly doubt it.

Only a very sad geek would switch from London Overground to walk through the Rotherhithe road tunnel.

But, between very close stations in the centre of London (Leicester Sq to Covent Garden for example) – is a very good idea. In fact, it’s such a good idea that TfL has already produced such a list.

walking-tube-map-03

But this new map is cluttered, and riddled with all to easy to have avoided mistakes, based on unrealistic averages. Sometimes you can try just a bit too hard to shoehorn a campaign into the tube map concept, and it just doesn’t work.

It’s a sea of information overload, and most of the information is not going to have any impact on people’s journeys.

And, for a map that exhorts us to walk instead of tap in/out, the map includes travel zones on it. Which seems superfluous.

The walking steps map is here.

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6 comments
  1. Gav says:

    Clapham to imperial wharf can easily be done in 36 mins probably less. I am an average walker and was forced to do it when the roads were blocked off during riots

    Take the 28 bus route walk and hang a right on Wandsworth bridge

  2. Rupert says:

    Also they’ve missed a trick (although it would make the map especially confusing) by not including distances between stations on different lines.

    Brondesbury to Kilburn High Road on the overground for example is less than a mile but would take an age to get there by switching lines on the overground.

  3. greatkingrat says:

    76 minutes from Canary Wharf to North Greenwich sounds fine as well, it is about 4 miles via the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.

  4. Ruth says:

    I definitely agree with Gav above that Clapham Junction to Imperial Wharf can be done in about half an hour.

    It also makes sense to put travel zones, because you can judge whether it’s worth getting out in zone 2 and walking to zone 3, for example, rather than paying extra for one more stop. (I live at the very edge of zone 2 and do this.)

  5. GT says:

    Except, as has been pointed out on “DG’s” blog, the actual distances are not give.
    It’s a notional value, with no positive connection to the so-called “real world”.
    What a shame

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