Lake Havasu City's wayfinding program funding OK’d

Lake Havasu City's wayfinding program funding OK’d

• City Wayfinding
• #city maps,
• #way-finding
• #signs

Recently Lake Havasu City's wayfinding program funding was OK'd by that community's city council to allocate $570,750 to the wayfinding program, which will begin in the next fiscal year. The program would make Lake Havasu City the first community in Arizona to have a wayfinding program.

The idea is not without controversy. The Mayor opposed it because of his belief that the residents of Lake Havasu were not behind the idea of paying a lot of money for signage. However, Vice Mayor Don Callahan countered that the city is spending a lot of money on capital improvement projects to enhance its status as a tourist attraction. A wayfinding system is necessary to help tourists find various attractions. If people can easily navigate the city, they will stay longer and thus drive up the economy. The money that tourists spend while visiting the town gets returned in sales, gas, and other taxes.

However, the Mohave County government had previously declined to allocate $300,000 for signage in Lake Havasu City. The county is suffering from a budget shortfall for its upcoming fiscal year. It was also argued that providing a wayfinding system for Lake Havasu City would constitute a slippery slope since other communities in Mohave County, such as Bullhead City and Kingman, would demand their signage. Thus, Lake Havasu City is obliged to shoulder the cost of the system that it expects to benefit from.

Thus the city will now establish a series of Wayfinder maps to make it easier to navigate. It will enable tourists and residents alike to find attractions in the resort more quickly, making it a more attractive community to visit and live in.