Hillsboro's First Wayfinding Kiosks Installed Downtown

HILLSBORO, OR — Despite the inclement weather, Hillsboro crews on Thursday began installing the city's new wayfinding infrastructure.

A project three years in the making, Hillsboro's new wayfinding program includes the placement of digital information kiosks downtown at the Tom Hughes Civic Center Plaza on Main Street and at the Hillsboro Central/Southeast Third Avenue Transit Centeron Southeast Washington Street. According to city officials, the new kiosks should up and running, helping residents and visitors navigate all Hillsboro has to offer, in a few short weeks.

The digital kiosks also include public wifi hotspots and solar panels that power the kiosk's lighting, officials said. Non-digital information kiosks are also being installed in the Civic Center's south plaza and at the Hatfield Government Center Max Station off West Main Street.

City officials said the new wayfinding infrastructure is meant to help build the city's identity as well as help residents and visitors find Hillsboro's parks and businesses.

New street signs are also to be installed throughout the next two years, as the city budget permits, officials said. In October 2016, city officials approved the final phase of a three-phase project to rename nearly 200 Hillsboro streets and renumber several residential addresses to better accommodate the city's modern and growing grid.

Previously, as Hillsboro, Beaverton, and Portland grew over the past 100 years and annexed unincorporated areas in Washington County into their respective city boundaries, different city street grids began overlapping, causing quite the mess for visitors and some residents when traveling through areas of overlap.

According to the city, Hillsboro’s Wayfinding Vision will:

• Authentically Reflect Hillsboro;
• Provide a warm welcome;
• Inspire exploration;
• Celebrate history, culture and diversity;
• Integrate graphics, public art, and the built and natural environment;
• Incorporate pedestrian and bicycle wayfinding to encourage modes of transportation other than vehicular; and
• Reflect each unique area of town while identifying all as Hillsboro.

Image via the City of Hillsboro