IDEA: Better Wayfinding Signs for Pedestrians & Cyclists In Hobart

What’s the issue?

Pedestrian and cycle routes need signage to help people find their way in the same way that roads do. These wayfinding signs aren’t always top priority when building infrastructure and are often overlooked. Hobart has many places that could be better signed.

Such as where?

Let’s look at an example: the area around the Bridge of Remembrance. This is the pedestrian & cycle bridge that crosses the Tasman Highway from the Cenotaph to the Domain. Built in 2019. It connects places like the Intercity Cycleway and the waterfront with the Hobart Aquatic Centre, the Soldier’s Memorial Avenue and the city via the Rose Garden Bridge.

A photo of the Bridge of Remembrance in Hobart Tasmania — The Bridge of Remembrance between the Domain and the Cenotaph in Hobart (image from Google Maps).

It’s clearly an important route for walkers and bike riders alike. It’s an area that even has its own wayfinding plan, endorsed by City of Hobart back in 2020.

So let’s look at a few key spots around the bridge.

A map showing the area around the Bridge of Remembrance in Hobart with six points marked — The area around the Bridge of Remembrance. The six numbered spots are the ones discussed below.

Six example Sign Spots

Approaching the eastern end of the bridge from the city. A Y‑intersection with no existing signage — we’ve added some.

A photo taken on the approach to the eastern end of the Bridge of Remembrance from the Hobart CBD. A wayfinding sign for pedestrians and cyclists has been added which shows the Intercity Cycleway and Tasman Bridge straight ahead and the Domain and Aquatic Centre to the right.

Coming off the western end of the bridge. A T‑intersection with no existing signage — we’ve added some.

A photo taken coming off the western end of the Bridge of Remembrance. A pedestrian wayfinding sign has been added which shows the Aquatic Centre to the left and the Domain and City to the right. A cyclist wayfinding sign has been added which shows the Aquatic Centre, Domain and City to the right.

Soon after turning right at the western end of the bridge. A cross‑intersection with no existing signage — we’ve added some.

A photo soon after turning right at the eastern end of the Bridge of Remembrance. A wayfinding sign for pedestrians and cyclists has been added which shows Domain and Soldier's Memorial Avenue to the left and Aquatic Centre and City to the right.

Just under the western end of the bridge after taking the right turn at spot 3. A Y‑intersection with existing signage.

There may be multiple signs already but they aren’t helpful. How many people have ended up down by the tree & bridge pylon! This is well meaning but indicative of a struggle to sign a complicated intersection with standard road signs.

A photo of the shared path passing under the eastern end of the Bridge of Remembrance. There's a bike only sign, a keep left sign, a give way to pedestrians sign and a shared use path sign. The keep left sign points off the path towards a tree and a bridge pylon.

Spot 4 again — this time with new signage and a splash of green paint.

(With wayfinding signage for each direction, the existing Give Way to Pedestrians and shared use path signs would be redundant).

A photo of the shared path passing under the eastern end of the Bridge of Remembrance. A cyclist wayfinding sign has been added which shows Aquatic Centre straight ahead and City to the left. A pedestrian wayfinding sign has been added which shows Aquatic Centre and City straight ahead. The existing signs have been removed. Some green paint has been applied to the bike path.

Just after entering the Rose Garden heading to the city from the western end of the bridge. A Y‑intersection with no existing signage — we’ve added some.

A photo taken on entering the Rose Garden from the western end of the Bridge of Remembrance. A pedestrian wayfinding sign has been added which shows City via Railway Roundabout to the left and City via Rose Garden Bridge to the right. A cyclist wayfinding sign has been added which shows City via Rose Garden Bridge to the right.

Coming off the eastern end of the bridge on the way back. A T‑intersection with no existing signage — we’ve added some.

(This sign could really be placed more aesthetically but you get the idea).

A photo taken coming off the eastern end of the Bridge of Remembrance. A wayfinding sign for pedestrians and cyclists has been added which shows Intercity Cycleway and Tasman Bridge to the left and City to the right.

What makes wayfinding signs a good idea?

Wayfinding signs make walking & cycling easier. This encourages people to choose active transport and improves the visitor experience of Hobart too.
They help formalise the routes which raises community awareness of their existence. As well, it brings overall network connectivity into focus for transport planners.
Signs are cheap, at least compared to other infrastructure.
It’s an easy project to implement as far as infrastructure projects go. Detailed designs for the signs already exist (see below). All that’s needed is for someone good at wayfinding to plan where the signs go and what they say. Then make the signs and concrete them into place. Repeat as necessary.

Detailed designs for several different types of signs for shared pedestrian & bike routes — Detailed designs for various wayfinding signs, in this case for shared pedestrian & cycling routes. These are taken from Austroads Bicycle Wayfinding (requires free registration). There’s similar documents from the Tasmanian Transport Services & the Queensland Department of Transport & Main Roads.

Submit your Sign Spot!

We want to improve this and we need your help!

Snap a photo of a spot you’ve found around Hobart that would benefit from a wayfinding sign for pedestrians and/or cyclists . Then submit it here and we’ll add it to the crowdsourced collection.

And if you see a good wayfinding sign already out in the wild, we’d love you to submit a photo of that too!