FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2015
Contact: Jennifer Kaulius
802.324.2505
Burlington Wayfinding Improvements Project Underway
New, Comprehensive, Understandable Signage System
Will Reduce Congestion and Make It Easier to Get Around Downtown
Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger and project partners today announced that the fabrication and installation of more than 80 new wayfinding signs throughout Burlington’s downtown district is underway and is projected to be completed by the end of October. The Burlington Wayfinding Improvements Project includes replacement of the City’s system of 20-year-old driving signs with new, clearer signs, a new pedestrian wayfinding system for the downtown and waterfront areas, and appropriate signage for the City’s three municipal parking garages.
“The City is excited to complete this important, long-awaited update and enhancement of our downtown wayfinding system,” said Mayor Weinberger. “These signage improvements will make our City more accessible and inviting to all, directing residents and visitors to our community’s many amenities and reducing congestion and confusion when parking.”
“On behalf of our downtown businesses, thank you to Mayor Weinberger and the Department of Public Works for completing the wayfinding program for Burlington,” said Kelly Devine, Burlington Business Association Executive Director. “I know visitors to Burlington from near and far will feel instantly welcome when they see and use this comprehensive signage and wayfinding system. And as we help people find their way to parking or to their destinations, we will improve our air quality as a result of less circling. This project is a clear win for Burlington.”
Ward 2 City Councilor Max Tracy stated: "With up to a third of traffic downtown generated by people looking for parking, my hope is that this new, comprehensive wayfinding system more effectively directs residents and visitors alike to existing garages, allowing residents and visitors to spend less time in their cars and more time enjoying everything that Burlington has to offer."
Hairpin Signage
The project’s scope of work includes installation of 36 new hairpin driving signs, or signs constructed of curved steel that has been powder coated with aluminum infill panels. The new signs will replace existing aged signs, provide additional signs where there were none previously, and in some cases remove redundant or unclear signage.
Pedestrian Signage
The new pedestrian wayfinding system includes new signage at 29 locations around the City. The pedestrian wayfinding system consists mostly of pole-mounted pedestrian signs, similar in concept to a street sign, with sign panels that project off the pole directing pedestrians to various City destinations and attractions. These signs are located at various pedestrian junctions around the downtown and waterfront area. In addition to the pole-mounted signs, there are a few new signs in and around the Marketplace Garage to assist pedestrians with locating stairs and elevators, as well as providing orientation when exiting the garage to downtown destinations.
Parking Signage & Dynamic Direction to Available Spaces
An essential element of the wayfinding project is directing visitors to public parking facilities; hairpin signs, six small directional signs associated with various parking lots and garages, and pedestrian wayfinding signs have embedded parking signage for this purpose. The wayfinding project includes parking signage at the Marketplace, College Street, and Lakeview Parking Garages that matches the scheme of the downtown wayfinding signs to provide easy correlation of the system. These parking signs include new garage name signs, parking designation symbols, and dynamic kiosks at the four major garage entrances. The kiosks will help to identify the garage entrance for visitors unfamiliar with the City of Burlington, as well as provide information if the garage is open or full. If the parking garage is full, the kiosk will provide a directional arrow to additional parking.
The system will publicize information about public parking garages on three of the hairpin signs located on the edge of the downtown zone. These signs will help direct visitors to open available parking in an effort to minimize frustration and enhance customer experience. This new dynamic system will be functional by the holiday season.
Project Schedule and Funding
Construction of the project commenced in late July 2015 and is expected to conclude in late October 2015. The project team has completed the installation of several of the sign foundations to date and erected about two dozen of the hairpin signs. In the coming weeks, the remaining sign foundations will be installed with the remaining signs to be erected, as well as installation of the signs on the parking garages.
The City’s Department of Public Works (DPW) and Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) have been working towards a redesigned wayfinding system for the downtown district with the assistance of project designers and engineers Resource Systems Group, Inc. (RSG) and LandWorks since 2007. The project team also includes resident engineer Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. Designs were completed in 2012, and DPW successfully acquired the necessary funding through award of a Transportation Community and System Enterprises grant and reallocation of a State Transportation Program Earmark grant in 2014.
The funding sources are as follows:
· Transportation Community and System Enterprises (TCSE) grant awarded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under the Transportation, Community and System Preservation (TCSP) program to fund the installation and fabrication of the wayfinding improvements in the City. The amount awarded through this grant is $375,000. This amount consists of $300,000 of Federal funds (80%) and $75,000 (20%) of local match through the City’s Traffic Fund.
· Reallocated Federal Earmark funds from the State Transportation Program grant, reallocating Church Street funds into the Waterfront Earmark to fully leverage use of the remaining funds. This was amended in 2013 to provide $180,000 to partially fund the wayfinding project. No local match is required for these funds.
Total project construction budget is $555,000.
*Please see attached wayfinding images one, two, and three.
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