Installation Begins on the Fort William Walking & Cycling Wayfinding System
A key milestone in the Fort William Wayfinding project has been reached in July, with the installation of the signage system and a full launch to follow soon after.
The goal of this pilot project is to make it easier for people living in and visiting Fort William to make short journeys by walking, wheeling or cycling, through a colour-coded wayfinding system and journey planner. This innovative pilot will deliver the Fort William Wayfinding strategy in a cost-effective, low-impact way which could be replicated across other towns in the region.
The routes are designed to link residential areas with key services such as schools, shops and visitor attractions. The network goes from Corpach to Upper Achintore and Torlundy to Glen Nevis, with routes chosen to prioritise safety and attractiveness. The map of the routes can be found here.
Marked Wayfinding, who are delivering the project through funding from HITRANS via Transport Scotland’s People & Place Programme, are now installing the signage in Fort William. There are two elements to the signage; directional signs that help you know where you are in the network, and coloured markers that confirm which route you are on.
Examples of the wayfinding route signage. Credit: Marked Wayfinding.
To complement the wayfinding, a journey planner will help you plan your route in advance, with the information and colours provided matching the content on the signage.
This project is part of the wider Fort William 2040 work to regenerate Fort William into a thriving, sustainable, and well-connected Highland town. This project delivers on the priority recommendations from the 2019 Active Travel Masterplan for Fort William, which was commissioned by HITRANS, and highlighted the importance of making existing active travel routes more visible and easier to navigate.
A launch event will take place later this year; to be kept updated on this please email the HITRANS People & Place Programme Manager at Emily.Bowie@hitrans.org.uk.