I consider myself a connoisseur of high-quality signage. It’s even on my dating profile.
So Traverse City, we need to have a conversation. Not about spelling or grammar. Those are forgivable. It’s time to talk about signs that are unclear, misleading, or just plain unhelpful. They create confusion, waste time and money, and reflect a lack of care. PWe can do better.
Let’s start with a classic: Garage sale signs that proudly say “Today.” What day is that? Is the sign from yesterday? Last week? These signs should be banned on principle. Dates and times, I beg you!
“Slow down” reads another sign I see at the edge of many residential yards. I don’t appreciate the assumption that I’m driving too fast. I’m not going to post a sign in front of my house that says, “Shut down your illegal bi-weekly high-stakes poker game in your basement.” How would I even know if you’re still running that gambling ring? Plus, that’s way too long for good signage. How about we swap “Slow down” for something gentler like “Please drive slowly.”
Speaking of slowing down, there’s a radar speed sign on Division Street, heading southbound. The posted limit is 40mph. If I drive a careful 32, the sign yells “SLOW DOWN” at me in all caps. It wasn’t displaying anything until my car rolled into view. First it clocked me at 8 mph under the limit. Then it shouted at me. Sometimes I zip through there at 39 mph, out of spite. Same message. Devastating.
Then there’s the Boardman Lake Loop Trail, a local favorite for bald dog walkers like me, families on bikes, and serious athletes training for marathons and Instagram posts. You’ll also spot a sign that reads “No motorized vehicles.” But that’s misleading. eBikes are allowed, and they famously have motors. It’s sort of their defining characteristic. We can make a phenomenal trail even better with signage that everyone can understand, not just those fluent in state law.
And please, if you’re heading to the Cherry Capital Airport for the very first time, good luck. Immediately after turning off South Airport Road, you’ll see a sign directing you to the terminal. Follow that sign, and you’ll end up at Costco. That’s more than confusing. It’s a design failure that leaves visitors scratching their heads.
If your business has an illuminated “Open” sign, it should mean you’re open. If I park, walk to the door, and find it locked, that’s not a small inconvenience. It’s a broken promise. That deserves 25% off my next visit. If it’s a bakery, 60%.
And finally, the most historically widespread signage issue: Lemonade stands. If your kids are advertising their business with an 8.5 x 11-inch sign written in highlighter, you are not setting them up for success. The sign needs to be big block letters, fully colored in, clear contrast, and visible from a car. If the lemonade is pink, raspberry, or another non-traditional kind, that should be noted on a secondary sign, ideally held by a younger sibling. These are our future entrepreneurs. From a signage perspective, you’re failing them. And in turn, they’re failing the thirsty among us.
Some signage has improved over time. Parking meters downtown finally display the enforcement hours prominently. That information used to be buried on the back in a word search of tiny print. Still, if you try to pay on a Sunday, whether at a machine or through the app, you’ll get no clear indication that parking is actually free. That’s a system that profits from people’s confusion. I’d love to know how much ill-gotten revenue the city has collected this summer. Our sophisticated pay system quietly collects payment even when it’s not required. Need some good karma? Spend a Sunday at a downtown pay machine, delivering the sweet news that parking is free and saving people from paying when they don’t have to.
There is hope. I keep a mental list of good signage around town as well. Recently, my neighbors earned a top spot. After a huge tree limb fell in their yard, they dragged it to the curb and attached a sign to one of the branches. Simple. Readable. Black text on white paper: “Free.”
It was honest, clear, and visible from the road. And it respected the person reading it. It was great signage. We need more of that.
Signs might seem like a small thing. But they reflect something bigger: Whether we’re paying attention, whether we care about each other’s time, and whether we want this town to be easy to navigate, or frustrating and unclear.
So here’s my modest proposal: Let’s all pay just a little more attention to our signs. They matter more than we might think.
Traverse City deserves better. Let’s show it.
Legibly.