The Planning Division is presenting to the City Council the Wayfinding Signage Plan to support bicycle and pedestrian travel with the intent to have the Council make a recommendation to the Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC).  The City Council received a presentation by Alta Planning & Design about the Wayfinding Plan components, the planning process, and implementation at its Work Session on February 3. 

Alta Planning + Design, Inc. was the successful consultant selected to complete the plan.  The development of the plan was managed by a project steering committee comprised of representatives from Planning, Engineering, Parks, MET Transit, Downtown Billings Alliance, Billings TrailNet, Chamber of Commerce, Healthy by Design Coalition, Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and the Montana Department of Transportation.  The project steering committee held several deep dive meetings to discuss design, routes, destinations and safety related to wayfinding.  The benefits of a good wayfinding sign program is:

• Orients and guides locals and visitors from place to place with minimal stress;
• Identifies best routes to destinations;
• Creates a recognizable brand and identity for the jurisdiction and/or active transportation network;
• Overcomes barriers to entry, such as negative perceptions of connectivity, safety, the time ii takes to travel by bicycle, and overall convenience;
• Improves safety by increasing the visibility of pedestrians and bicyclists and heightening the awareness of motor vehicle drivers;
• Normalizes walking and bicycling as legitimate modes of transportation.

This transportation planning project was identified in the Metropolitan Planning Organizations 2019 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) that was approved by Billings City Council on August 27, 2018 and the Policy Coordinating Committee on September 11, 2018. The total budget for the plan was $50,000.

City Council may:

• Approve the Wayfinding Signage Plan and forward a recommendation of approval to the Policy Coordinating Committee, or;
• Disapprove the Wayfinding Signage Plan and forward a recommendation of denial to the Policy Coordinating Committee.

This project was identified and approved in the 2019 UPWP at a cost of $50,000.  The funding for this plan was provided at 60% Federal Planning funds and 40% local funds.  The local funding was provided through the Planning Division.

There should be no direct financial impact to the City from the adoption of this plan, however, there will be costs associated with the implementation of the wayfinding plan as existing routes are designated and signed, and as new pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure is completed. 

Working with a local sign fabricator, the planning team developed planning-level implementation costs for the proposed wayfinding system. These per-unit costs include labor, posts, anchors, signs, concrete footings, and installation per City of Billings specifications, but do not include the following:
 
• Any potential required permitting or engineering fees;
• Coring of concrete or any removal of concrete or asphalt required to install signs. Coring of concrete will be an additional $100   per sign and cutting of asphalt will be an additional $80;
• Reinforcing steel;
• Staking of signs, unless otherwise agreed
 
The unit costs reflected in Table 2 on page 56 (shown below) of the Wayfinding Plan represent the cost of ordering one unit. Ordering higher quantities will result in a lower per-unit cost (e.g. 25 signs may result in a 5% drop in unit cost). The savings in higher quantities is especially true for kiosks.
 
General Cost Estimates

Wayfinding Element	Unit	Unit Cost
On-Street Elements
Decision sign	Each	$425
Confirmation sign	Each	$395
Turn sign	Each	$435
Street name sign	Each	$410
Off-Street Elements*
Mile marker	Each	$505
Trail/street intersection sign	Each	$485
Decision sign	Each	$450
Confirmation sign	Each	$420
Turn sign	Each	$435
Trail etiquette sign	Each	$450
Kiosk		?

*Assumes powder coated steel tubing with no holes; option to use powder coated Telespar (with holes) posts for a cost savings of approximately $15/unit ($20/unit for mile markers).

 

 

Staff recommends that the City Council approve the Wayfinding Signage Plan and forward a recommendation of approval to the Policy Coordinating Committee.