# Public Transit Compasses New York Subway Compasses Help Orient Confused Travelers By Michael Hines | Published 2010-06-24 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/new-york-subway-compasses References: [neatorama](http://www.neatorama.com/2010/06/22/orienting-subway-riders/) & [nyctheblog.blogspot](http://nyctheblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/sidewalk-graffiti-provides-navigational.html) Next time you ride the subway in the Big Apple, keep your eyes peeled for these New York subway compasses. These directional aids have been anonymously spray-painted outside of [subway stations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/accessibility-maps) to help [re-orient travelers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/open-path). Apparently the idea for New York subway compasses has been tried before. It was deemed an epic failure, but someone else has obviously thought differently. I like this idea. Many times I have found myself confused after stepping out of the subway station. Wandering aimlessly around to re-orient yourself is never any fun. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.0/10 - Popularity: 29% | Activity: 22% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [DIY](https://www.trendhunter.com/diy) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Spray Painted Directional Aids:** Opportunity for developing a foolproof directional aid system by using spray paint in different colours for specific destinations. - **Subway Navigation Apps:** Creating mobile apps that help commuters navigate subways in unfamiliar cities effectively. - **Augmented Reality Subway Maps:** Development of AR subway maps that help commuters to easily navigate through the subway system. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Transportation:** Innovation possibilities for developing advanced navigation tools and systems for public transportation networks. - **Mobile App Development:** Designing specialized navigation apps for subways in major cities in the world. - **Technology:** Opportunities for developing technological tools that help commuters navigate unfamiliar subway systems effectively. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Directional Compass Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/homing-compass.md) - [Virtual Direction Guides](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/online-compass.md) - [Impairment-Aiding Navigation Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/commute-booster.md) - [Knitted New York Subways](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/straphangers-lounge.md) - [Real-Time Subway Map Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-weekendest.md) - [Advanced Navigation Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/compass-direction-finder.md) - [Digital City-Inspired Art Works](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grand-central-station.md) - [Homing Compasses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/het-kompas.md) - [Haptic Stone-Like Compasses](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/terra-compass.md)