At the Lake: Wayfinding sign to test program's effectiveness

The first Wayfinding test sign was installed Thursday afternoon and will remain up on Al Tahoe Boulevard - between Johnson Boulevard and College Drive - for one week.

The Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce began the Wayfinding project last year - which is a signage program designed to help people navigate urban areas - and since has hosted community workshops to gather input from residents. After working with the city and CalTrans, the chamber now has a sign it wants to test.

The city of South Lake Tahoe is funding $88,000 of the project, El Dorado County is contributing $42,500, and the Nevada Department of Tourism is giving $20,000.

CalTrans and the city agreed to a sign displaying two colors with standard guidelines, such as arrows, and embedded international symbols. The signs conform to all other standard codes, such as a height of 7 feet and conventional lettering.

The public may comment on the test sign by visiting tahoechamber.org and clicking on the "Wayfinding!" logo.

After the test week is over, the chamber will compile public comments on its Web site. If the program stays on schedule, the chamber will present the results to the City Council on Aug. 21.