For the past two years, Transit Authority Figures has designed subway maps for unlikely locations. It started with an absurdist rendering of our hometown of Northampton, Massachusetts and, after fanstastic response, turned to sites like Cape Cod, The Hamptons, and other places that would never, for obvious reasons, have a subway.

Now we’re paying more attention to places that perhaps should have a subway. Cities all over the country are choked with traffic and existing public transportation is often pretty spotty. So now we engage in the whimsical fantasy of designing a city’s ultimate subway system in a universe where budget, bureaucratic entanglement, environmental considerations, and easements are no object.

This is our first draft of the Providence Subway. Our hometown was easy to map because we knew where the stops should be and where the lines should run (and it’s small). For Providence (big), we’ve been studying maps and traffic patterns and consulting friends. See more here...

Initial poster sketches:

Dress Rehearsal Photo Shoot:

Opening Night Posters:

Here are some of the others that we liked...

In the first, we emphasized the 'square-state' quality of the geographic make-up of Western Mass. We sliced it up by county, sub-region, telephone area code, and highway disection. Having thought for years that all of Western Mass was 'The 413', we were surprised to find that 978 sneaks in and takes a bite out of five towns around Orange.

We were delighted that when turned on its side, Massachusetts looks like a frosty pint that's just been slammed on the bar. Three or four swigs of Western Mass give this a glass-half-full positive outlook, provided you're an optimist.

We find one of the most curious facts about Western Mass is that three major sports were born here. Everyone around here knows about basketball in Springfield and volleyball in Holyoke. But recently documents from the late 18th century were found in Pittsfield mentioning the earliest-known references to baseball. It made us wonder what else these three cities have in common as cultural pioneers. As it turns out - paper products.

Finally, as a Northampton-based agency, we've long been amused by the electric charge of the word 'Noho'. The hipper-than-thou, über-urban, pretensiousness of it is bristling to many in the greater region. We thought it would be fun to liberate the word by including everyone. We're still working on one for Ware. Way-Ray?

This is image is finally on a T-Shirt! On sale exclusively at TWIST on November 12 & 13

We're very excited about particating in our second Twist this November 12 and 13th at the Northampton Center for the Arts in Northampton, MA. Transit Authority Figures be there with all of our subway maps and shirts. It's a perfect souvenir from your trip to Noho... or Hamp. Not playing favorites.

Check back soon because we're probably going to post some sweet coupons here so we can move some product and Damia can have the extra bedroom back.

It's a really fantastic event with lots of supercool artists and designers purveying their wares. Plus, it's awesomely timed for the upcoming holidays. See you there!