Carrboro One Step Closer to New Downtown Wayfinding Signs

Downtown Carrboro will be getting a facelift soon, after the Board of Aldermen signed off on the design for new way-finding signs.

The new guide markers, pedestrian maps, accents and other signage are estimated to cost around $400,000, according to the consulting group in charge of the designs, and will include 148 new signs around town.

Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle says the new signage will replace old, inaccurate signs around downtown, while improving the aesthetics of street side areas.

“They’ve already done an inventory of all the signs we have downtown, many of which need to go or many of which that might be repetitive, some that are different sizes and maybe don’t match,” Lavelle says. “They’ll be cleaning it all up so that they do all match and they are all logical and they do point to places where people will want to go.”

Lavelle says she’s very impressed with the final design, which includes new “gateway” markers at the major points of entry into the town.

“The designer did a really cool job of weaving in some of our logo, some of the circles from the Carrboro logo, (and) weaving that into the bright design of the different signs,” she says.

The designs were developed by Axia Consulting, shaped by input from town advisory boards and members of the public. The different concepts were on display in Town Hall over the summer.

Only a couple of steps remain now before construction. Field mock-ups will be produced to test the legibility of the signs, and state transportation officials must give their approval before bidding on the project can begin.

New Signage Designed for Downtown Carrboro

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