Feature Article

What Makes a Good Map?

Picture the glove compartment of your car. Chances are, it contains several well-worn road maps, folded neatly (or not so neatly), next to your owner's manual, tissues and ancient ketchup packets. Now, think about the last time that you used a map. Did it help you, or frustrate you? Did you end up stopping at a gas station for directions?

Most people take good maps for granted-appreciating them only after trying to use one that is incorrect or confusing. What makes a map "good" depends somewhat on the traveler's needs, but the main goal of any map is to convey information clearly to the reader. How well a map communicates, then, is the measure of its worth. To achieve this aim, cartographers use a variety of visual tools such as color, shape and pattern.

Let's begin with some basics. All maps should have a legend, or key, that explains the map's symbols. For example, types of lines are identified as highways, unpaved roads, rivers, political boundaries and so forth. The legend illustrates the use of colors and shows how cities and towns are depicted with dots or squares according to their population. Legends may also provide the map's scale, projection, cartographer, publisher, date of compilation and date of printing.

Scale refers to the ratio of the distance between two points on a map and the actual distance it represents. So, 1:50,000 means that one inch on the map equals 50,000 inches on the ground. Most legends also illustrate this graphically, with a bar scale showing what intervals of 10 miles look like. A "large-scale" map (under 1:50,000) is one that provides more detail of a smaller geographic area, such as a city; "small-scale" (usually 1:250,000 and higher) refers to maps that give an overview of a larger area, such as an entire state or country.

Projection is the mathematical formula that allows the cartographer to translate information about the three-dimensional surface of the Earth onto a flat, two-dimensional plane. For large-scale maps, projection has less significance; if you're looking at a map of a neighborhood, projection won't matter much. If you compare several different projections for the United States, however, the difference becomes more apparent. Country and regional road maps usually use conic projections to maintain accurate distances while minimizing distortion.

Accuracy is probably the most important component of a good map. Two major indicators of accuracy are frequency of updates and the source of data. Surprisingly, many map publishers do not have a set schedule for updating, doing so on a subjective, as-needed basis. A good road map should be revised every one to two years. Many mapmakers rely on outside data providers as a single source of information. Additional input, particularly on a local level, increases accuracy.

The amount of detail is another crucial map element, and perhaps the most challenging for cartographers. A map that has too few attributes may be easy to read, but will not be a true representation of the data; too much detail or too complex a layout can create map clutter, confusing readers and working against effective communication.

An index presents an alphabetical list of places shown on a map and gives the grid location of each place. Good road maps will have a fairly extensive index, including not just towns and cities, but features such as lakes, national monuments and other points of interest.

Map symbols use a variety of points, lines and areas. For clarity, symbols should be simple and logical. On many maps, for example, the symbol for an airport is a small plane. Use of color should make sense; for example, bodies of water are most often depicted in blue, forests in green, etc. Maps are indispensable tools for travelers. They help us find our way, decide our route, plan our next stop and see where we have been. So the next time you pick up a map at your local AAA office, consider the complex elements and expertise that go into making a good map. Oh, and while you're at it, you might want to clean out your glove compartment.

How Do AAA Maps Rate?

AAA is the largest publisher of travel information in North America. With hundreds of titles, AAA circulates over 72 million maps and travel books annually. Here are some of the features that make AAA map products superior in quality.

Update frequency - AAA state maps are revised annually; city maps are on a two-year revision cycle. Delivery of product is scheduled to closely match travel seasons.

Source - Dedicated "road reporters" allow AAA to access information where no other data exists and to exceed verification of data accuracy. Input and review from AAA clubs provide an additional information source from a local perspective.

Database - AAA uses a state-of-the-art Geographic Information System (GIS), which provides positional accuracy and more detail than non-GIS systems by using location as the dominant way of organizing and accessing information. A very small percentage of map publishers are currently using this process. Detail - Because AAA maps focus on information of interest to the leisure traveler, they contain more towns, places and points of interest than most maps on the market. To avoid map clutter, AAA map products are regularly tested for readability.

Town/City Insets - AAA provides at minimum a competitive number of town/city insets. Because AAA maps are member-driven, in many cases they contain more detail insets than other maps.

Indexing - AAA map indexes contain numerous features, including communities, property names and AAA-exclusive proprietary data. AAA indexes to text (printed street name), not to the street only, making it easier to locate the street from map coordinates.

Proprietary Information and Customization - Proprietary attributes give AAA maps a leading edge. Unique features include "red towns" on state, regional and strip-maps which indicate approved lodging accommodations listed in the corresponding AAA TourBookŪ. Other examples of AAA's value-added data are detour and construction information, scenic byways, bridges and ferries, and toll roads. AAA routings, TripTiksŪ and Internet TripTiksŪ give members customized mapping in a user-friendly format, allowing travelers to choose the route that best suits their needs-the fastest, most direct way, or the most scenic.

Coming Soon to a Computer Near You:
Internet TripTikŪ Enhancements

AAA has spent the last several months obtaining valid street addresses for the 60,000-plus AAA-rated lodgings and restaurants, and AAA attractions contained in AAA TourBookŪ guides. The goal is to include these points in Traveler-an upcoming enhancement to Internet TripTikŪ that will provide users with a map-based approach to search TourBook content, and the ability to identify what's along the way or at their destination. This enhancement is scheduled to launch this October.

By early next year, members using the Internet TripTik will also have the ability to access addresses for AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities, as well as national and local Show Your Card & Save merchants along their route.

AAA's Internet TripTiks are available 24 hours a day.

Return To Top

© Rocky Mountain Motorists, Inc.