How not to display data

In an earlier blog, I quoted one of my email signatures which uses the following quotation:
In the information age, somebody has to specialize in the development and presentation of really useful information. Doing that for management and decision-making applications is the core role of Operational Research scientists. (Randy Robinson, the first executive director of INFORMS)

Ever since I read the books "The Use and Abuse of Statistics" and "How to Lie with Statistics" I have been alert to examples of poor communication of data. Today's example comes, I am afraid, from my own university (Exeter).

Here is a map showing the modes of transport used by a sample of employees of the university. I am not sure whether to point the finger at the university or Devon County Council. So what's wrong? A few thoughts to start with.

1) The map covers far too great an area; there should be enlargements around Exeter.
2) The symbols are horrible. A black parenthesis on top of a coloured exclamation mark.
3) When you magnify the map to see the detail (and in most cases, to see the colour) then the symbols are lost.
4) What is the point? Is it to inform?

Let's be positive: could the information be presented in a different way? Suppose that we separated the modes of transport to see where the walkers come from. And those who use public transport? And those who car share? And those who travel less than 2 miles by car? The maps for many of these could be on a large scale. Then we might apply some contours of equal travelling time. But we still haven't answered the question "what is the point?"