Hanover County’s proposed revisions to wayfinding signs for the Fall Line Trail won approval from the Central Virginia Transportation Authority committee after a short, specially called meeting.

Philip Kemp, who leads the public-works effort on the project, told the committee the county contracted Holiday Signs to produce prototypes under the CVTA wayfinding plan and that the prototypes revealed several usability problems. “The Fall Line Trail is now open to the public. It’s a great facility,” Kemp said, then described design flaws: maps on mile-marker and pedestrian panels were too small and placed so low users would have to bend to read them, icons and fonts overlapped, and the decorative wave element was not legible in the prototype.

The committee heard several practical fixes. Kemp said pedestrian directional (P2) panels will show the crossing street name in the formerly blank top panel; maps will be removed from frequent panels and CVTA will pursue QR-code stickers so users can pull a map up on a phone. For mile markers, Hanover proposed shortening the panel, removing the escutcheon and adding a six-inch blue-painted band at the base of the pole to match other sign types; Holiday Signs recommended 1/8-inch steel rather than the originally specified quarter-inch for easier handling and lower cost.

Contractor Bob Marin of Holiday Signs emphasized map legibility and placement: “You almost need a stand alone sign that says, here’s the trail. Here’s where you’re at,” he said, arguing small maps on low panels are nonfunctional. Several members supported keeping full maps at trailheads and relying on QR codes or separate map panels elsewhere along the corridor rather than on every pedestrian or mile-marker panel.

The committee discussed maintenance and placement standards. Members confirmed VDOT will not maintain these supplemental wayfinding signs; each locality will be responsible for sign upkeep on its section of trail. The committee also noted guidelines around offset from the trail and that some signs may need to be placed on the opposite side of the path to meet clearance requirements.

Sharon Snidler of Henrico moved to amend the Fall Line Trail wayfinding plan to incorporate Hanover’s revisions for ID, M, P2 and W sign types as reflected in the revised drawings presented; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll call. Representatives from Charles City County (Miss Adams), Chesterfield County (Miss Smith), Guichling County (Mister Longerbeam), Hanover County (Mister Vidunas), Henrico County (Miss Smidler), New Kent County (Miss Inman), Powhatan County (Mister Webb) and the City of Richmond (Miss Clark) recorded “Aye,” and the chair announced the motion passes.

With the approval, Hanover may proceed with the revised sign fabrications and installations for its open section of the Fall Line Trail. Committee members said the county’s experience and the vendor’s prototypes could inform updates for other localities; a fuller review of the entire wayfinding plan could be scheduled later.

The committee adjourned with holiday remarks and technical approval to move forward on implementing Hanover’s revisions.