Commuting and the International Typographic Style.
Gently rocked back and forth, I am mesmerized to work every morning in a big steel cradle. The hypnotic whir of the train's wheels as they glide along the silver rails lulls me to sleep, my eyelids heavy with the sleep still left in them. By the time we reach BWI, the weights are at rest: I feel drugged and happy as I drift in and out of consciousness the rest of the way to DC. The drug I just inhaled is called Amtrak.
Although I've had a hard time adjusting to life on the east coast, there are a few things about this side of the country that I really like. One of them is the MARC train (Maryland Area Rail Commuter). This is the train line, operated by Amtrak for the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA), that takes me to and from DC everyday. Even though my commute is long (door-to-door, about an hour and fifteen minutes each way), I look forward to my time on the train. Riding the train is quite relaxing, actually, and I'm starting to get the warm fuzzies every time I walk past Penn Station on the weekends. And ever since I started commuting in December, I've become increasingly fascinated by mass transportation in general – the logistics, the engineering – and the MARC's visual identity in particular.
I'm especially impressed with the MARC logo. This big, bold, geometric sans-serif is perfect for the rail system, I think. A classic, fresh design, it was created in 1983 when the system was still in partial operation by the B&O Railroad (yes, that B&O, the same one of Monopoly fame). To me, it says this train is fast, but sturdy and reliable. I couldn't find info on who designed it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were a firm like Chermayeff & Geismar. It's just a really good logo, obviously influenced by the International Typographic Style.
FYI, the train is fast, too. For American trains, anyway. According to stuff I've read, the MARC Penn line is the busiest commuter line in the US, reaching speeds of 125 miles per hour. It's also incredibly safe when you consider the amount of commuters it transports everyday (20-30k) sans accident; much safer than commuting by car.
It beats driving, let me tell you. The train is my friend. I like this about the east coast: the MARC.