Signing Regulations Become More Business Friendly

Significant changes have made it easier for travelers to locate gas, food, lodging, camping, and places of interest in Connecticut.

The changes come as a result of a special DOT task force appointed in 2012 which reviewed standards.

According to the DOT, the group “comprised diverse disciplines including engineering, maintenance, legal, legislative, rights-of-way and the Federal Highway Administration with input from the Connecticut Department of Community and Economic Development’s Office of Culture and Tourism.”

“Our updated rules and policies are more flexible and more responsive to businesses while remaining consistent with federal guidelines,” said DOT Commissioner James P. Redeker.

The changes includes relaxing the number of minimum hours a business has to be open to be listed on highway signs

A business can now be further from an exit ramp and still be eligible to be listed on such signs.

There is also a modest fee increase for businesses wishing to advertise on these signs.

A new tourist attractions signs program was also rolled out.

According to a DOT press release, “The program is intended to create a predictable and recognizable system to help travelers locate places of interest that will make their experience in Connecticut more enjoyable. The program provides clear criteria on qualifying requirements for places of interest such as museums, universities and businesses to obtain signing, and allows for attractive, unique, logo style signing that will be eye catching and readily identifiable to passing motorists. This program will alert travelers to the many opportunities to explore “Connecticut’s rich colonial history, vibrant city life, beautiful state parks and plentiful attractions,” as Governor Dannel P. Malloy has said.

The program is free of charge for those that meet the requirements.

Shopping centers can be recognized on these signs as long as they have a minimum of 10 stores and 400,000-square-feet or a minimum of 30 stores and 100,000-square-feet. Some of the regional centers meeting those requirements include Crystal Mall in Waterford, Waterford Commons in Waterford, and Lisbon Landing in Lisbon.

Specifically, travelers will see amusement parks, arenas, cultural centers, historic sites and districts, museums, observatories, recreational areas, ski areas, state or national parks and forests, tourist information centers, unique natural areas (like waterfalls or caverns), and zoological/botanical parks, and aquariums.