Signs, can’t you read the sign?
and the sign said...
Sign, sign Everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery Breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that Can't you read the sign?
— Signs, Five Man Electrical Band
This Buckeye has been exploring Florida by bike over the past three weeks on a warm and sunny respite from cold and cloudy Ohio. Signs fascinate me in my travels. Those of a certain age recall the importance of signs on family vacations and road trips. The car’s dashboard GPS and the bicycle’s handlebar-mounted Garmin have decreased the reliance on signs.
My phone’s photo gallery has been accumulating a selection of signs from the Sunshine State. They may challenge your view of and the purpose of signs. Each guides the viewer in an interesting, informative, and memorable way.
Tell me about the trail
This is the first electronic trail information sign I have seen. It is on the Legacy Trail on the southern edge of Sarasota. It displays the day’s trail user count and year-to-date trail user count. The quick-changing unreadable text above the runner image shows the current date, time, and temperature. Pretty impressive! Has anyone seen this elsewhere?
In case of emergencies
This is my hands-down favorite trail sign from the past three weeks. These rigid plastic signs are embedded in the pavement of the West Orange Trail. The brilliance of this sign is their placement every ¼ mile. It shows 9-1-1 for emergencies and a unique identifier for the location. 911 operators can precisely identify the location. I especially like this being on the pavement where walkers, runners, and cyclists will see it as the walk for assistance. Placed every ¼ mile makes the information accessible for at most a ¼ mile walk.
Dreaming of faraway places
You have seen a sign like this while on vacation. This sign was at Coney Island, a popular stop, on the Good Neighbor Trail in Brooksville. It uses whimsy to add context to where you are. This is a clever way for a town along a trail to include distance to nearby and distant towns along the trail, as well, as exotic destinations evidenced in this sign—a creative, memorable photo-op.
The open invitation
Hungry, thirsty, looking for a respite from the heat, cold, rain, or whatever? I have seen these low-cost high-impact a-frame signs on many of my travels. Savvy businesses know the importance of throwing out the welcome mat. This says it all and gives a person a reason to stop and enjoy the moment. This idea carried over to the St. Petersburg Pier at the southern end of the Pinellas Trail where the a-frames convey messages such as slow down, congested area, and respect for fellow users.
When art says welcome
I encountered this community artwork along a scenic bike lane to Phillippe Park in Safety Harbor. You may question why I classify this as a sign. The message in the mosaic is an open invitation, “Bike Our City”. Beyond the message, the accompanying text describes its creation as a community project under the direction of a local artist. It demonstrates the community’s commitment to welcoming cyclists. It is one of the best signs directing a visitor to a welcoming place through art.
Keep the trail clean
Most trails include picking up after your pet in their trail rules. I observe this common practice for most trail users. This simple design has several nice attributes. The message is clear. I have seen many commercially manufactured pet waste bag systems. This one is unique in that it is homegrown and encourages recycling plastic bags to be used for pet waste. The community leads by example in keeping the trail clean and helping the environment.
Where do I go next
The best signs can be more than printed text. This is true, especially in an urban environment where multiple trails, bike paths, and bike lanes collide. This sign is on the Pinellas Trail south of Dunedin. The intersection requires Pinellas users to diagonally cross the busy intersection. The streets have marked bike lanes, and the sidewalks in all directions are signed for bikes. The many options require signage that directs people using the Pinellas Trail on the proper path. The picture clearly tells the story.
Just for fun
Sometimes a simple sign can change your day. This simple message of peace, love, and joy was on the bike-friendly main street through Gulfport. Amid tourists, traffic, and confusion, these three words made me stop and smile.
Mentioned in this newsletter
And the sign said "Everybody welcome!”
Tom on the Trails
Your blogs make my day. I love signs!