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7:05 a.m. • 2-10-12

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Downtown Raleigh: 'Can You Find Me Now?'


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A Sign That Raleigh Wants Tourists
A Sign That Raleigh Wants Tourists

For newcomers, for some repeat visitors — even for some people who have lived here for years — it can be tough to navigate downtown Raleigh.

The city is taking steps to make sure the millions of people who visit Raleigh every year can find what they came to see.

"It's a confusing area,” pedestrian Jack Barry said.

Experts won’t argue with him.

"People get really lost downtown," said Elizabeth Alley of the Urban Design Center. "For first-time visitors, it's very easy to get turned around."

Take a sample itinerary: Moore Square to the Capitol and stop by the Courthouse. "If I were not familiar with it, I wouldn't be able to find it," Barry said.

"Once you got off the Beltline, there weren't any wayfinding elements taking you to the downtown area," said Robert Brengman, a senior designer at Corbin Design.

The city paid Brengman and his consulting firm $200,000 to come up with ways to help people find their ways around.

"When we're done and the system is implemented, the No. 1 thing we want to see eliminated is complaints," Brengman said.

The $1.5 million wayfinding project will guide people from the Beltline to downtown, highlighting all the major attractions

"We want people to feel confident in their journey, find parking and feel comfortable as a pedestrian exploring our city," the design center’s Alley said.

The city’s goal is to have the signs approved and in place by the late summer of 2008, just in time for the opening of the new convention center and a nearby hotel.

The design phase of the project is expected to last until August. The city has a Web site that shows the work so far.

RELATED TOPICS: Moore Square, Raleigh

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I am a Raleigh native & I love this place. The signage cost really IS a joke! What a waste of $$s. What we need is some place to park without having to pay so much & that is convenient to places to go. I needed to pick up something at the Courthouse last week & rode around for 30 minutes looking for an on street place to park before I gave up & (finally) found a deck that didn't have a "Sorry, Full" sign on it.... It cost me $1.00 for less than 30 minutes of parking! Bummer.

"dont know a single place downtown that I want to visit unless it is the mayors office so I can give him a couple lessons in fiscal management and control."

LOL! Need a lift? Let me know, I'm sure between us we could keep him busy through lunch at least ;0

You all love Raleigh, that's great. I'm Raleigh native, and I love Raleigh. This sign thing seems a little crazy... there aren't any "major" attractions. There's no zoo, no aquarium, etc... maybe something the Dix property can offer the city?

Either way, all the northerners who have come here and love it so much, please help keep tolls OUT of this state. No Tolls on 540 is a grassroots movement. http://www.notollson540.org for the online petition and information on how you can write local politicians and express that we do NOT want tolls on 540. They've already successfully circumvented the Fed Trans. Dept. by renaming the road NC540 instead of what will one day be a complete loop that was supposed to be I540.

thanks.

They need to publish a list of downtown attractions. I have lived here for over 40 years-- and I dont know a single place downtown that I want to visit unless it is the mayors office so I can give him a couple lessons in fiscal management and control.

iamforjustice-----why don't you travel on and try to find a city with no gay people. That was an ugly thing to say. Do you have any other targeted groups? Fat people maybe?

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