For years now, visitors and residents alike have complained that for those not in the know, trying to find one's way around Traverse City can be a frustrating experience.
Where do you park if you want to go to Clinch Park beach? And if you're lucky enough to find a place to park, how do you actually get to the beach? What pedestrian tunnel?
Where in the world is Old Town? Or the new Warehouse District? Or the Opera House? You can't miss the State Theatre, perhaps, but where is Munson Hospital? The Grand Traverse Commons?
The Downtown Development Authority has decided to finally do something about it. Before the National Cherry Festival in early July, the DDA will launch a "wayfinding" project aimed at helping people find and then work their way around the downtown area.
The DDA turned to Corbin Design, a Traverse City firm that happens to be one of the premier vehicle and pedestrian navigation experts in the country -- and has been itching to work on downtown for years.
Preliminary designs and plans were presented to the DDA board last month; early phases of the project will be ready before the Cherry Festival.
Corbin senior designer Jeff Frank said the DDA project will take in a relatively small chunk of downtown but will be designed to expand throughout the city and the region.
Downtown will be split into three separate districts -- Front Street, Old Town and Warehouse -- and street signs will guide motorists to those districts, public parking and attractions like Clinch Park Beach and the city marina.
"Wayfinding" is the evolution of the old "you are here" signs that work only if you're standing right in front of them. They use directional and information signs to guide visitors to a specific area, then use kiosks and other signs to help people find more specific locations. Some of Corbin's large-scale clients include cities like Atlanta and Los Angeles, major airports and Penn State University.
The wayfinding process doesn't come cheap. The DDA will pay more than $73,850 for just the city portion of the new effort, and city officials will have to evaluate how it's working before deciding to expand it.
But there is little doubt the rest of the city, and plenty of other places around the region, could use the same treatment.
Unless you live here, finding some pretty prominent locations can be difficult. How do you get to Munson Hospital if you're coming into town from Acme Township? Or the Civic Center and City Hall or Northwestern Michigan College? All of them are tucked into what are mainly residential areas, and if you don't know the terrain, good luck finding them.
For a town that relies so much on visitors, this is long overdue.
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