Attraction Signs General Program Information
An “attraction” is defined as – Businesses, facilities, or sites whose primary purpose is satisfying the needs of visitors from outside the immediate area for recreational, educational, scientific, environmental, natural, cultural, heritage/historical, or entertainment related activities. Visitors from outside the immediate area are defined as those traveling 20 miles or more from their place of residence. Attractions may also include a group of sites with common significance, such as an Antique District or Historic District.
Attraction signs are designed to inform visitors of nearby points of interest and direct them to the appropriate highway exit. These signs are placed at the closest exit to the attraction on limited access highways. Attraction signs will not be approved on any parkway.
Existing supplemental destination guide signs that were installed prior to the establishment of the Attraction Sign program will be removed during the next major signing upgrade project in the area. Attraction destinations previously designated on supplemental destination guide signs will be required to apply for signage as part of the Attraction program.
Existing supplemental destination guide signs that were installed prior to the establishment of the Attraction Sign program will automatically be reviewed for compliance with Attraction Sign program qualifications during the next major signing upgrade project in the area. If all qualifications are met, the supplemental destination guide sign will be removed and a standard Attraction panel will be installed. If all qualifications are not met, the supplemental destination guide sign will be removed and no Attraction panel will be installed.
The selection of pertinent information at any interchange or intersection is critical to the safe and efficient use of the highway system. Therefore, all information associated with an interchange or intersection cannot be presented to the road user. Excessive signing can reduce the effectiveness of other important signing because of the possibility of overloading the vehicle operator’s capacity to receive and make decisions based on visual messages. The combination of the necessary regulatory, warning, and guide signs when combined with supplemental guide signs can lead to such confusion, misinformation, and sign clutter. Accordingly, discretion is reserved by the Department in the selection and installation of all signs.
An Attraction sign has a blue background with up to six Attraction panels attached to it. There are two types of Attraction panels. A standard Attraction panel is designed, fabricated, and installed by the Department and will contain a limited length word description of the attraction on a brown, blue, or green background dependent of the type of attraction. A custom logo Attraction panel, is a specially designed logo panel for an attraction that is required to be reviewed and approved by the Department prior to inclusion in the Attraction program. After the design has been approved by the Department, the custom logo Attraction panels are to be fabricated by the attraction and provided to the Department for installation. The custom logo design guidelines webpage includes additional information that attractions can use while designing a custom logo Attraction panel.
Attraction Signs Program History
The Attraction Sign program was originally developed by the Commissioner’s Signing Taskforce with input from the Connecticut Office of Tourism under the Dannel P. Malloy administration. In addition to directing visitors to attractions, the program was developed to ensure the safety of the traveling public, maintain the scenic beauty of the State’s communities and roadways and ensure efficient traffic flow. The program is designed to determine the most appropriate system for directing visitors to attractions throughout the State.
The focus of the Attraction Sign program is the development and installation of informative, clear and uniform signs along the State’s limited access highways. Each mainline Attraction sign will include up to six (6) Attraction panels highlighting specific attractions, or the areas where attractions are located. After exiting the limited access roadway, Trailblazer signs along the exit ramps provide directional arrows and mileage indicators to the attractions listed on the mainline Attraction sign. The Attraction Sign program complements other existing directional signs, including general destination signs.
The Department reserves the right to make any modifications to the program for compliance with federal and state standards and guidance.