Newsletter: November 20, 2024

Where Is Delray Beach?

After many years of planning and at a price tag of over a million dollars, Delray Beach has finally installed its "Wayfinding" signs. There's a problem, however, No one can see the name of the city in which we live. 

Wayfinding signage is a term of art labeling signs strategically posted to welcome or bid farewell or to direct motorists and pedestrians in municipalities.

Our city has posted new, decorative Wayfinding signs to mark the arrival into Delray Beach and to locate places.  These signs have a beautiful base color, but "Where Is Delray Beach"? The aluminum black lettering on top of the beautiful blue waves is VIRTUALLY INVISIBLE! 
With backgrounds of the road's black top or tree foliage by day and the blackness of evening by night, the black lettering is impossible to see and a driving hazard for those trying to discern…. Wait. What? Welcome to Where?  

The “Gateway” wayfinding sign located on Atlantic, placed East of I-95 has a colorful blue base and all black lettering that says, “WELCOME TO DELRAY BEACH.”  Or at least it appears that’s what it says. Don Bell Signs LLC was awarded the contract.  They were paid a very high price of over one million dollars for signage that have a distinct design flaw and does not showcase our town in the best light. 

This is a disappointment for all who waited so long for this project to come to fruition, and frankly our tax dollars being ill-spent.  How can such a design flaw have been overlooked?  How or can the flaw be remedied?

Many people on social media have suggested changing colors.  Some have offered to pay for the spray paint. 

We hope the city recognizes the problem and plans to fix it.