Downtown Burlington to get about 100 new signs

Downtown Burlington is going to become less confusing next spring, when the city plans to install about 100 new signs, the mayor's office announced Thursday.

The signs will point people toward parking and various downtown destinations. Some will be specifically installed for bicyclists and pedestrians, according to a news release.

Some existing signs will be replaced, and Public Works Engineer Guillermo Gomez wrote in a memo that the new set will be a "comprehensive, consistent signing plan."

Mayor Miro Weinberger said the new signs would improve safety and awareness of places in downtown Burlington.

Burlington businesses have been asking for an upgrade to the signage system, said Kelly Devine, executive director of the Burlington Business Association.

"This new system will make it easier for customers and visitors to find their way to amenities and parking," Devine said in a statement. "The result will be less congestion in the downtown and a more welcoming city."

Virginia-based Architectural Graphics, Inc., won the contract for the project with a bid of $430,000. Most of the money will come from two grants, according to Gomez's memo, plus about $75,000 from the city's traffic fund. The City Council approved the project on Monday night.

All of the signs are expected to be in place by July 2015.

Contact April Burbank at (802) 660-1863 or aburbank@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AprilBurbank