Signage Improves Communities | How Your Community Can Raise Property Values, Promote Traffic Safety, And Reduce Liability
Entrance signs and wayfinding signs enhance community aesthetics and promote safety.
Effective and attractive signage enhances the overall image of the community. Coordinating entrance signs with wayfinding signs unify the community while moving traffic safely and smoothly throughout the neighborhood. It is welcoming to pedestrians when traffic areas are clearly defined. Whether the signs are for new construction, or upgrading an established community, community entrance and wayfinding signs offer sophistication and prestige to any community.
Entrance signs create a first impression for residents, guests, and prospective buyers.
Entrance signs are the first thing that residents, guests, and prospective buyers see when entering your community. Does the community entrance sign leave a lasting visual impression? Does the subdivision entrance sign convey a sense of pride about the neighborhood?
According to the Community Associations Institute (CAI), the number of community or homeowners associations has grown from 10,000 in 1970 to 338,000 in 2015. There are many choices for prospective buyers. Now more than ever, it is imperative that your community signage leaves a lasting visual impression and conveys a sense of pride in order to keep the community housing prices competitive with other housing communities in the area.
Enhance the ease of mobility, quality of life, and property values through good wayfinding practices.
Wayfinding is the process of moving from location to location. Wayfinding affects the ease of travel which has an impact on not only safety, but the economic and commercial vitality of a community.
Impact of Good Wayfinding
According to an AARP study, good wayfinding has distinct impacts on the individual and the community.
Individual Impact
- Enhances access to goods and services
- Makes it easier to walk, cycle and use public transportation
- Reduces risk of getting lost or injured
- Creates opportunities for community engagement
Community Impact
- Fosters economic/commercial vitality
- Facilitates ease of walking, cycling and use of public transportation
- Helps prevent vehicle/pedestrian/bicycle crashes and near misses
Mixed-use communities that feature commercial and residential properties are becoming more popular. The property welcomes both pedestrian and vehicle traffic in the mixed-use area. Wayfinding signage is imperative for the traffic to move smoothly throughout the area.
Street signs promote safety
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, “traffic signs are critical elements of the roadways because they communicate the rules, warnings, guidance, and other agency information that drivers need to safely and efficiently navigate roads and streets. Well maintained signs are important as they help drivers make good decisions.”
Drivers making good decisions… any assistance in that area on that is welcome!
Signage improves communities because they promote safety by providing information to assist in navigation. Imagine the chaos if a community did not have stop signs. However; there are several other factors to consider with street sign safety. The U.S. Department of Transportation published the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). Government manuals do not make for light reading, so below are 3 major considerations when considering a sign install.
Sign Posts must be Crash Worthy
MUTCD standards require that all street sign supports either be in the clear zone (sufficient distance to allow a driver to stop or return to road), breakaway (break or bend upon impact), or yielding (breaks or bends that allows a vehicle to run over it).
Height and Location of Signs
There are specific requirements for the position of the sign depending on the type of sign that is being installed and the specific situation where it is installed and what it is used for. The terrain and slope of the surrounding area is a consideration when considering height of the post.
Reflectivity of Sign to be Visible at Night
“Coefficient of Retroreflection” is the standard for the minimum retroreflectivity of a sign. In simple terms, it is car headlights bouncing off the sign enough for it to be visible, without it blinding the driver.
Regulations Vary
Regulations vary depending on government agencies. Sound complicated? Site Essentials provides compliance to your specific county or municipality. Site Essentials offers services that include compliance research and installation of the signs.
Homeowners Associations may be Liable for Accidents Occurring on Property
No doubt we live in a society that likes to litigate. Accidents occurring on property can, and very likely will, lead to a lawsuit. If it can be proved that the community or homeowners association was somehow negligent and the negligence caused a traffic accident, they can and will be held liable.
Site Essentials entrance signs and street signs coordinate look, installation.
Tampa Palms, an upscale mixed-use community, located north of Tampa, Florida redesigned its entrance signs and wayfinding signs. Tampa Palms covers over 7,000 acres of mixed-use properties, including residential and commercial. Ground was originally broken for Tampa Palms in the late 1980’s, meaning it’s signage was ready for a renovation.
Site Essentials manufactured and installed new entrance, street, and wayfinding signs for this community. The new neighborhood signs created an aesthetically pleasing experience for residents, guests, and prospective buyers. The new signage also ensures that traffic moves smoothly throughout the community.
To learn more about how Site Essentials helped Tampa Palms update their community to meet current code requirements, and re-brand the image of the area check out our case study.
If you would like a Site Essentials representative to discuss how we can improve your community image and reduce liability by meeting today’s road sign regulations, please contact us.
