[ummonk]

In fairness, I think the claim (still meritless) would be that he adapted the original Vignelli map, not the version of it that the MTA started using in 2011.

[blackearl]

Doing a search of "transit maps" yields lots of similar looking maps. Maybe there was an originator of the style, but it certainly wasn't the MTA

[romwell]

This is referenced in the article. The style originated with the London Tube maps in the 1930's.