Published: February 04, 2009 07:00 pm      

Downtown finds its 'Way'

TRAVERSE CITY -- A day rarely passes at Horizon Books downtown without a confused visitor seeking help to navigate the city's central business district.

They're looking for restaurants, shops, the Open Space and other downtown attractions, book store sales manager Amy Reynolds said, but don't know how to find them.

"We're fielding questions nearly every day," said Reynolds, adding that it's not unusual to get stopped on the street by someone looking for directions.

"We are a tourist destination, but we have local people who sometimes need some help getting around, as well," she said. "Even getting to the beach can be tricky in Traverse City."

The city's Downtown Development Authority will launch a "wayfinding" project this summer to help people find and then work their way around the downtown area, utilizing a local firm that's among the premier vehicle and pedestrian navigation experts in the country.

"We're trying to make Traverse City more accessible," said Jeff Frank, a senior designer for Corbin Design of Traverse City, who's heading up the $73,850 project. "We really want people to be able to find downtown Traverse City, and then know how to get around when they get here."

Wayfinding utilizes directional and information signs to guide travelers to a general area, and then builds on kiosks, other signs and local landmarks to help people find more specific locations. The concept can be used for large metropolitan areas and for getting around places like medical complexes, airports or college campuses.

Some of Corbin's large-scale clients include cities like Atlanta and Los Angeles, and Penn State University.

Frank said the DDA's project will encompass a relatively small area downtown, but will be designed for possible expansion throughout the city and region. The downtown area will be split into three separate districts -- Front Street, Old Town and Warehouse. Street signs will guide motorists to those districts and to public parking areas, along with other attractions like the Clinch Park Beach and city marina.

The project also involves expanding the downtown's street kiosks to help pedestrians find various businesses or landmarks like the State Theatre and City Opera House. Other attractions like WiFi hot spots also will be highlighted.

The effort also will involve several direction signs on state and local roads on the outskirts of the city, so pass-through travelers or those unfamiliar with the city can work their way downtown.

"There clearly is a lot of confusion among visitors about downtown -- about where it is and how to get there," said Rob Bacigalupi, deputy director of the DDA. "A lot of people probably drive by and don't even see it. They're looking at the bay."

Preliminary designs and plans were presented to the DDA board last month, and Frank said the project's early phases will be installed before the National Cherry Festival in early July.