The City of West Sacramento has completed its trial active transportation wayfinding program.

What are wayfinding signs?

Wayfinding signage is the collection of directional signs that inform people of their surroundings to show information at strategic points to guide people in the right direction to their destination. 

Why did the City installing wayfinding signs?

The goal of this effort is to develop a wayfinding system which supports the values and brand of West Sacramento to promote safer and more seamless navigation for pedestrians and bicyclists, and to raise awareness of the city’s trail system. 

The Active Transportation Wayfinding Signage Program entailed the site planning, design, fabrication, and installation of six large, eleven medium, and fifteen small wayfinding signs located along key active transportation corridors as part of the City's overarching innovative transportation demand management program. This initial deployment of wayfinding signage targeted low-stress active transportation corridors and is intended to provide a template for future scaling to a broader, city-wide signage program.

What is transportation demand management? 

Transportation demand management are strategies and policies to reduce travel demand or to alter this demand in mode, space, or time. 

Where did the City to install the signs?

The first sign package was installed in the area around the Bridge District, Sutter Health Park, Washington District, and West Capitol Avenue. 

Future phases will be based on the results of the Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Master Plan Update. 

Why do the signs look so good?

The City sought input from the community on the Active Transportation Wayfinding Signage Program and presented the results of the survey to the TMI Commission on May 2, 2022 and the City Council on June 1, 2022. Staff incorporated the City Council's feedback to update the proposed design.

The three designs were considered: 

Concept A (click for more detail)

Concept B  (click for more detail)

Concept C  (click for more detail)

Results of the survey are shown below:

The resulting sign was based on comments the designers received. The product combines elements of all three proposals.

How was this effort funded?

Based on a Pilot Community Wayfinding program that was initiated through the City’s Safe Routes to School program, the City of West Sacramento submitted a grant application for the Yolo Solano Air Quality Management District’s (YSAQMD) Clean Air Fund grant to make permanent signage developed during the Pilot Community Wayfinding Program. In 2018, the City was awarded a Clean Air Fund grant of $17,750 to assist with the design, fabrication, and installation of bicycle and pedestrian oriented wayfinding signage along key active transportation corridors. At the same time, the City submitted and was awarded $100,000 in SACOG Innovative Transportation Demand management (TDM) funds awarded toward a multi-pronged scope that originally included a robust data collection and household survey effort to assess local travel behaviors and preferences pair with a multi-modal TDM branding and marketing strategy to better message alternative transportation options to audiences beyond the traditional commuter. 

Following the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the original proposed scope of work and timeline of these two grants were amended and efforts consolidated. The SACOG Innovative TDM grant funds and YSAQMD Clean Air Funds are intended to be utilized together to implement a more impactful active transportation wayfinding signage program alongside a more inclusive marketing/branding strategy to better communicate the benefits and available resources for non-commute trips and a broader audience, including Seniors, Youth, and families to encourage greater active mode usage in the community.

Project Manager

Stephanie Chhan
Senior Transportation Planner
stephaniec@cityofwestsacramento.org
(916) 617-5300

Steven Rosen
Associate Transportation Planner
stevenr@cityofwestsacramento.org
Telephone: (916) 617-5043

Last Updated: July 24, 2023