Signs along Interstate 94 in St. Paul tell motorists which exits to use to get to popular destinations such as the Como Zoo and Conservatory, the Minnesota Children's Museum, the Ordway Center for the Arts and the Minnesota History Center.
Others direct drivers to the Xcel Energy Center, the State Capitol and schools such as the University of St. Thomas, Concordia University and Macalester College.
Carole, no last name given, has noticed them and she e-mailed The Drive to ask why most venues in St. Paul have signs along freeways while few museums, parks, schools and attractions in Minneapolis do.
Sure, there are signs for the soon-to-be-razed Metrodome, but conspicuously absent are signs guiding motorists to the Walker Art Center and Sculpture Garden, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Orchestra Hall or the theaters on Hennepin Avenue. Why?
The short answer is that venues must ask for them, and be willing to pay for them, said Josie Tayse, MnDOT's Metro District sign engineer. That might explain why there is a sign on westbound 94 for St. Mary's University but not for North Central University.
Any business or facility can ask for a sign, but MnDOT will grant their request only if certain criteria are met. For starters, the venue must be a major traffic generator and host several events a year, Tayse said. MnDOT also will grant signs to venues that attract people from out of town. That's why you'll see signs for airports, casinos, state parks and shopping centers. Small schools and colleges can have them, too.
MnDOT also has to determine if there is room on the freeway. According to MnDOT's Traffic Engineering Manual, guide signs must be placed close to the exit nearest to the attraction or school. The manual also says that guide signs must be placed a minimum of 800 feet apart so people can read and understand them before encountering the next one. "We don't want visual clutter, or one sign blocking another," Tayse said.
Assuming those criteria are met, the venue requesting a sign must pay for it. Sign fees begin at $850, but can quickly jump into the thousands depending on how big the sign is and how it is installed. The speed at which motorists will be passing will dictate how big the text needs to be so drivers can easily read the sign. The larger the text, the bigger the sign, and the more expensive it becomes.
