B.T.B. puts up directional signs
Those of us who live in Belize City and the surrounding areas know the place like the back of our hands, but anyone who visits is naturally confused about how to get around, especially since there are so few street signs. The Belize Tourism Board wants to assist both the visitors from other countries, as well as the districts, navigate their way. With the help of the Museum of Belize signs have sprung up at key locations around the city. Well, they haven’t exactly sprung up because a lot of research and construction work went into the effort.
Four months ago, the Belize Tourism Board unveiled its destinations signs project. Today the results of the project’s first phase hang seventeen feet above ground at strategic locations throughout the city and at the entrance to the Northern and Western Highways.
Valerie Woods, Ag. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism
“Jackie, the Belize Tourism Board felt that there was a need, an appropriate one after having received several comments on it from various visitors that there was a lack of signage throughout the country. If we are promoting, not only the Maya region, but having people not just stay in hotels but to go out and experience the destinations, one has to have the appropriate signs to guide them.”
The Ministry of Tourism worked along with the Belize Museum to implement the eight reflective green signs that each carry a maximum of three destinations.
Norman Smith, Interim Coordinator, Belize Museum Project
“The bigger the signs are of course the more costly they are. The reason we went to those sizes is because the lettering which uses international highway D modified fonts and the spacing is sufficient for people in a small country like Belize, especially at the speed that is developed around these junctions. They have sufficient time to recognize the destinations and also cross over a single lane as opposed to in the States where people have probably seen bigger signs where there are multiple lanes and people zipping along at seventy miles an hour and they need bigger signs and they need more space to negotiate across to lanes and exits that they do.”
The museum contracted the New Buildings Company in Spanish Lookout to do the construction of the cantilevers on which the signs have been posted. Frank Rempel, who worked along with engineer Roque Matus, says they first had to drive twenty-foot piles into the ground.
Frank Rempel, Co-Owner, New Buildings Company
“He did everything. He did the capping and the piling that made it strong in order for the sign to stand straight and it’s suppose to withstand hurricane winds.”
Another attractive feature to the signs is that they have been tilted to eliminate glare, giving motorists a clear view of the sign.
Norman Smith
“There is more of a glare factor in the afternoon than in the morning sun and if we tilt them we could give drivers better visibility as they go under the signs.”
Nine signs have been erected. Besides the directional signs there will be auxiliary and distance signs posted.
Valerie Woods
“We do not want to assume the responsibility of the Ministry of Works, but what we have done is set, if you will, a standard. It is in the interest of tourism that uniform signs are set across the country and that it is just an example that we hope the Ministry of Works will follow. And they have been working along with us commenting that the signs are in line with universal standards.”
Public response has been good.
Trijillo Flowers, Taxi Driver
“They are very helpful to visitors because there is a lot of time when drivers, especially with the rental vehicles asking where is Belmopan or how to get to this. Having the signs that direct them like when travelling through Mexico and other places. It’s very helpful.”
Valerie Woods
“The criticisms that we have got is one of semantics and those are very minor. Some preferred additional wording on the signs, some preferred more than what was on them. But if you are trying to reach standards and as we move forward we have to be aware of what our region or counterparts are doing.”
The project costs about seventy thousand dollars.
