The Yellowstone County Board of Planning (YCBP) is the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Billings Urban Area. The Billings Metropolitan Planning Organization (Billings MPO) is requesting proposals from qualified firms or teams of firms with the appropriate expertise to develop a wayfinding signage plan and to prepare detailed designs for select sign types. For the purposes of this plan, wayfinding is defined as a system of signs that provide navigational assistance to bicyclists, pedestrians and trail users including information about destinations, travel distances, and other information about the system. This plan will establish universal and cohesive design standards for wayfinding and locational signage reflective of the City's identity.

The Wayfinding Signage Plan is identified in the 2019 Billings Urban Area Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP). The Billings MPO highly recommends that Consulting firms review this document.

The UPWP is located at: https://www.ci.billings.mt.us/DocumentCenter/View/35416/UPWP-2019-Highway-and-Transit?bidId=

This project should follow development guidance from the 2016 Billings Area Bikeway & Trails Master Plan. https://www.ci.billings.mt.us/DocumentCenter/View/34091/Billings-Bikeway-and-Trails-Master-Plan?bidId=

Wayfinding Signage Plan Goals:

The MPO's wayfinding program should provide consistent and attractive information to assist the non-motorized traveling public to navigate efficiently to key destinations within the area. To achieve this, the plan should:

1. Connect Places — Facilitate travel between destinations and provide guidance to new destinations.
2. Keep Information Simple — Present information simply, using clear fonts and simple designs, so that it can be understood quickly.
3. Maintain Motion — Be legible and visible for people moving so that they can read the signage without stopping.
4. Be Predictable — Standardize the placement and design of signs so that patterns are established and the signage system becomes predictable.
5. Promote Active Travel — Encourage increased rates of active transportation by helping people to realize they can use the bikeway and trail network to access the places they want to go by incorporating a time/distance application, approach or recommendations to the signage design.

The wayfinding program should include, but not be limited to:

• General information for pedestrians and bicyclists;
• Arts and culture destinations;
• Transit facilities;
• Memorial and historical venues and landmarks;
• Entertainment venues;
• Visitor information and amenities;
• Popular destinations; and
• Significant municipal buildings or properties.

Below is a general outline of the anticipated scope of work. However, the final scope of work will be negotiated with the successful proposer.

This project will require the following Scope of Work and Documentation package to be completed within approximately ten months of contract signing. The Study will include, but not be limited to the following:

SCOPE OF WORK

Assess Existing Condition and Needs

• Review existing wayfinding (Parks, Chamber, Downtown) and assess compatibility with new signage;
• Identify and recommend a list of wayfinding destinations that include but may not be limited to arts and culture destinations, memorial and historical venues and landmarks, entertainment venues, transit facilities and routes, visitor information and amenities, popular destinations, municipal and public spaces; and
• Identify and engage user groups including those individuals with specific needs as they affect the disabled, senior citizens, and new visitors.

Develop Recommendation for Signage Placement and Type

• Recommend wayfinding signage types that should include but may not be limited to directional markers, street signs, public facility identification signs, etc.;
• Using GIS resources develop a map of recommended wayfinding signage locations. GIS should be compatible with City GIS programs;
• Identify areas that may have barriers, in either installation or some other condition;
• Develop recommended terminology and/or icons for locations (landmarks, public facilities, retail, dining, etc.); and
• Prepare a cost estimate for material types, reflectivity, fabrication, installation, and maintenance of the system including the number of various sign types and locations.

Consultant will be required to inform and solicit comments from the community through the Yellowstone County Board of Planning Participation Plan. The public participation plan can be found: https://ci.billings.mt.us/DocumentCenter/View/36538/21353_Billings-Public-Participation-Plan_FinalDraft

WAYFINDING PLAN DELIVERABLES

At the conclusion of the plan the following items will be delivered:

• Weekly email updates of project status to City-County Planning Division. Project meetings as needed.
• Attendance at public meetings and meetings with the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and the Policy Coordinating Committee (PCC) and Governing Bodies are required.
• A Wayfinding Signage Plan that contains the written analysis, recommendations, proposed sign locations and with specific destinations, and detailed fabrication drawings developed. It shall also include a palette of colors, design strategy and installation details.
• 15 full color copies of the plan as well as electronic submittal of the document and executive summary that includes a friendly, web-based version.