Edmond tourism director: 100 new wayfinding signs installed using grants and ARPA funds

Jennifer Thornton, tourism director for the City of Edmond, told the council the city has installed about 100 modular wayfinding signs around Edmond to point people to parks, sports facilities and downtown attractions. “There are 100 signs up right now pointing to parks, sports facilities,” Thornton said, describing modular, breakaway designs that can be updated as destinations change.

Thornton said the project was planned on the council strategic plan and accelerated by grant funding. “During COVID, we were able to get some grants…so we got a grant from the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments and from ARPA funding,” she said, and thanked multiple city departments that contributed to the effort.

Thornton described safety compliance as a key feature: the signs follow Oklahoma Department of Transportation rules for height and lettering appropriate to speed limits, and the fixtures are breakaway for safety. She also said the downtown signs use colors tied to the city’s downtown logo and that the system includes spare parts in storage.

A council member praised the design and noted that a constituent asked whether the signs were the best use of funds; the council member said the project was grant-funded and suggested the signs may reduce phone use by making destinations easier to find.

The council did not take a vote on this presentation; Thornton concluded after questions and council members expressed thanks to staff. The signs are installed and the city will monitor them and update panels as needed.