The subway being the backbone, it is only natural that it has its own bus-less map. However you’re right in that buses and subways should be better integrated, both in announcements and signage. The map is really pretty, and it’s huge, however I do find it rather overwhelming (something that could be avoided with single borough cuts). I find the treatment of the subway interesting. While it is not the primary focus of the map (and I feel it should be) it is very easy to spot each line and station in the proper colors, though it’s a little harder to follow them, and if you’re planning a cross city journey that can actually be tricky, unless you switch to a subway only map. In that respect though it is fitting that the buses themselves appear in a darker grey (color them and you lose both bus and subway clarity) and they’re actually not too hard to follow despite the immensity of the network, once you take a closer look.

It’s a really nice looking and well executed map, with readable labels, though I feel it does let the user down in actual navigation because of just how big it gets. Somehow making the subway lines easier to navigate without making them overbearing would help a lot — for instance keeping the lines faded and behind the buses, but coloring them accordingly, so that they become obvious to the eye as the city’s backbone without distracting from the grey bus lines. Different widths for the bus lines may help distinguishing between SBS and more or less frequent/heavy services, giving users a better idea of their options without overly cluttering the map.

PATH, Metro North, LIRR, perhaps NJ Transit out of Manhattan should be included however, as they also form part of the city’s transit infrastructure and they are also used by commuters, albeit less than the subway. Perhaps they could be shown in grey (or blue for PATH) should the subway lines be faintly colored so to better get an idea of network hierarchy. As for the airport symbols, I feel they can stay. Airports may not be overly useful for commuting to work and back, but beyond the coastline they’re the primary gateway to the rest of the US, and not at all only used by tourists and transient populations. They also give more geographical cues, which helps tons with the general navigation. I’d also mark bridges even if they are not driven on by buses, also as geographical cues, though adding the freeways etc. probably would be more hassle than it’s worth.

Also, I do like the subway + SBS only map (though it needs the other rail services too), though I think the SBS should be -behind- the subway lines on that map. I also suspect that SBS may be too slow to really be an alternative to subways in some areas though, but that is a concern beyond the mapping of the network, and it still gives those bus lines a little more importance.

Overall though it’s a very solid effort, and possibly a nudge towards better integration of bus and subway services in the NYC area. :)