Blog du Wren

Signage

Forgive me if I have posted about this before. I remember spending a lot of time thinking about it when I was on my scooter trip.

Signage can make all the difference when travelling, esp. by alternate means. Sure it is annoying when you go 20 miles off your route in a car and have to turn around. When you go 20 miles out of your way on a bike, however, it is very different. And it isn't only lost time and frustration that good signage can help alleviate. It can be a safety issue.

Take today for example: it was all set to be the first big day of the bike portion of my trip. I wanted to go as far south as I could get. I left Arlington VA early and found a nice off-road bike path the 20 or so miles down to Mount Vernon*. After that, I just headed south. I eventually came across a visitor's center with a nice "Bike Virginia" map that was supposed to help keep me off the main roads and on the back roads. Well, the map was really unclear about how to get on this mythical bike route. And since it shared the same name as a highway, I figured I would just hope on the highway and find a sign. 25 miles (on almost shoulderless roads with traffic zipping by at 50 mph) later, I senendipitously found a sign pointing me to what a wanted. I'm hoping now that I've found it, I'll be able to stick on it.

Moral of the story: good signage can make a HUGE difference. So for all you planners out there, whether it be for a bike route, a nature walk, or a tour of the bridges of Madison County, I implore you to not skimp on the signage.

Thursday April 10 2008

File under: travel

Toggle Comments (5)

comment?

on Thu 10th Apr, 2008 04:29 pm PDT Saxtor said:
I don't know that I agree with your sentiment about signs. I typically find them to be always blocking out the scenery and breaking my mind. "Do this," "don't do that," they say. YES, I can read your bloody sign!
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on Thu 10th Apr, 2008 06:21 pm PDT Sean said:
You don't have a satellite navigation system mounted on that sweet ride?
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on Thu 10th Apr, 2008 08:18 pm PDT Andrew said:
Me? Well, I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why. He said that I looked like a fine outstanding young man. He thought that I'd do. Well I took off my hat and said IMAGINE THAT! ME! WORKING FOR YOU!
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on Sun 13th Apr, 2008 03:50 am PDT dave said:
a redeeming quality of a certain old gentleman who drives to leavenworth/winthrop and back just for lunch is that he is responsible for the imminent bike signage from the swinomish bridge to the fidalgo bay trail terminus on march's point.
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on Fri 18th Apr, 2008 03:20 pm PDT mandy said:
a good map can also make a HUGE difference ;p
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