Michael Hertz, designer of iconic NYC subway map, dies at 87

Graphic designer Michael Hertz, creator of the iconic New York City subway map, died on February 18, 2020, at age 87. Born August 1, 1932, in Brooklyn, Hertz earned a BA in Fine Arts from Queens College in 1954. He worked at Walt Disney as art director for film trailers and designed graphics for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. His cartography career began in the 1960s with maps of Houston, Washington, D.C., and various airports. In the mid-1970s, the MTA commissioned him to redesign the NYC subway map, replacing Massimo Vignelli's modernist version (now at MoMA). Hertz's map, notable for its clear color-coded lines and inclusion of street grids, remains in use today with updates. MTA marketing chief Chuck Gordanier called Hertz "a giant in transit mapping."