MBTA initiates system map overhaul

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority unveiled a project Monday to replace system maps and signage, some of which have not been updated since station modernizations in 1967, officials said.

The Government Center station is the first to display new maps, including a line map with updated Green Line stops, a system map notating connections to the subway and key routes and a neighborhood map showing interesting locations in the area, according to an MBTA press release.

‘These maps will replace outdated, incorrect maps and will for the first time ever provide commuters and tourists with up-to-date information about our network of subway, bus, ferry and commuter rail lines,’ Transportation Secretary James A. Aloisi, Jr. said in the release.

The maps will also feature the new Silver Line Connector from Washington Street to South Station, which will be opening in the near future, Executive Office of Transportation Deputy Secretary for Communications and Policy Colin Durrant said.

The new project is part of a large-scale MBTA initiative to help customers better plan their commutes, Aloisi said.

Map and signage improvements will feature key bus route maps, smaller maps in buses and rail vehicles, folded system maps and bus shelter maps, according to the press release. The smaller maps will allow for consistent updates. An additional program addressing the outdated Commuter Rail maps is also underway.

Map updates will continue next with Orient Heights, Bowdoin and Copley Stations.

The replacements come just weeks after the Patrick administration and MBTA made scheduling data available online with an interactive trip planner.

The project is expected to cost $500,000 and take two years to complete, MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said. MBTA anticipates supporting it through federal stimulus funds.