The NYC DOT is launching a new pedestrian wayfinding program in 2013

A new pedestrian wayfinding system soon will be appearing on the sidewalks of New York, including the Chinatown and Civic Center areas. Part of a city Department of Transportation's (DOT) pilot, the signs will be the first of a proposed citywide program to unify on-street maps and directional signs. Chinatown/Civic Center will be one of four neighborhoods to get the first of 150 new signs of varying size and format.

The Community Board 1 Planning Committee meeting recently heard details of the program, which will begin rolling out in early 2013. The additional locations are Long Island City, Queens; Prospect Heights/Crown Heights, Brooklyn; and the 34th Street/Fashion District in Midtown -- each chosen for their high pedestrian volume, proximity to mass transit, local landmarks, and area business districts.

Designed by a consortium called PentaCity, the $6 million program aims to improve pedestrian navigation through clear, consistent wayfinding boards. The same group, led by Pentagram design studio, also is behind the DOT's new LOOK street-safety campaign and redesigned parking signs that are being installed throughout the city over the coming months.

The wayfinding design itself is inspired by the simple, white-on-black New York City Transit sign format. Two noteworthy additions also will distinguish the maps: estimated walking times from the sign to various destinations; and the use of “head's up” mapping, rather than “north up” mapping. The DOT and design team determined that the head's-up style of maps made pedestrian orientation easier, laying out the street grid in the same direction the pedestrian faces at each map.

There will be several styles and sizes of signs, which will be installed near curb lines of sidewalks around each pilot area. The largest, called a "neighborhood sign," will feature a map listing notable points of interest, cultural destinations, parks, and other landmarks that will aid orientation by foot. The map also will include subway entrances and bike lanes. Comparatively, the "path sign" is more slender and better suited to more narrow sidewalks, with arrows indicating major points of interest.

Once the signs are in place, the city and contractor will monitor its effectiveness, and from there determine improvements and begin rolling out the wayfinding program to new neighborhoods.

Click here to read the city DOT's June 2011 RFP press release for the new wayfinding system.