Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
DOT

New Signage to Guide Pedestrians in Four Neighborhoods

This DOT rendering imagines what a new pedestrian 'wayfinding' system could look like, with posted maps and additional street signs. Image: NYC DOT.

Improved sidewalk signage and maps for pedestrians will be the latest addition to the streetscape by the Department of Transportation, which just released a request for proposals for a new wayfinding system in four neighborhoods. In Long Island City, Prospect Heights and Crown Heights, Chinatown, and Midtown, DOT hopes the new information will encourage more people to walk and help them get where they're going faster.

In a DOT survey conducted in preparation for the proposal, nine percent of New Yorkers and 27 percent of tourists said they had been lost in the past week. A good wayfinding system would alleviate confusion and make walking more attractive. After London implemented a similar wayfinding system in the Bond Street area called "Legible London," pedestrian journeys in the neighborhood were an average of 16 percent faster. (For a look at the London sidewalk maps, check below the jump.)

Moreover, the fear of getting lost probably keeps some people from walking in the first place. Said 34th Street Partnership President Dan Biederman, "A standardized citywide pedestrian sign system would highlight our neighborhood’s offerings, and increase the number of people who walk instead of take taxis from our transit terminals, such as Penn Station." With additional information, tourists in particular could confidently save a cab fare by walking to certain nearby destinations.

According to the Wall Street Journal, DOT is willing to spend up to $9.5 million on the project over time, but this first phase will only cost $1.5 million, with 80 percent of that covered by the federal government, and local business improvement districts contributing as well.

In London, wayfinding signs point to important destinations, map the area and show how far you can go with _ minutes of walking.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Slaughter of the Innocents: SUV Driver Kills Upper West Side Teen

Thirteen-year-old Niyell McCrorey is the 15th child killed by drivers so far this year, and at least the 97th pedestrian.

November 5, 2024

Parking? Lots! Outdoor Dining Structures Are Coming Down Across the City

Another wave of New York City's beloved roadside dining structures is making way for parked cars after a key city deadline passed on Friday.

November 4, 2024

HOUSING CRISIS: Council Pushes Mayor to Create ‘City Of Yes … And’

The speaker of the City Council is demanding that Mayor Adams's signature housing initiative create more affordable units — but it's unclear if she backs the key proposal that undergirds the plan: ending mandatory parking.

November 4, 2024

Monday’s Headlines: Another Fatal Flight from Police Edition

Another cyclist has been killed by another driver fleeing police. Plus other news (including a hilarious SNL sketch about Assembly Member Harvey Epstein).

November 4, 2024

Friday’s Headlines: Hotoween Edition

The unseasonably warm weather reminds us that it's foolish that the city turned outdoor dining into an April to November thing. Plus other news.

November 1, 2024
See all posts