New street name boards have appeared in Krakow as part of the City Information System (SIM). Over the last few months, road engineers have installed more than 650 boards with nearly 1,700 information panels. These are minimalist boards and the names and directions on them are very clear
The work was carried out by employees of the Public Transport Authority of Krakow. The new street name boards have been installed over the past 12 months. Previously, drivers or pedestrians had to use signs whose aesthetics were not consistent. Often, makeshift signs were erected. This information chaos is now history
The installation of new signs took place in 624 locations. In total, more than 650 items appeared with the name and area of the city, more than 100 with the names of roundabouts or squares and 920 with the names of various types of facilities. At the entrances to the city and the exits from Krakow’s 4th ring road, 17 new elegant welcome signs were erected
The scale of the project is best demonstrated by its scope. In the east, the new signs appeared in the vicinity of Wolica and Branice, in the west they can be found in Tyniec, in the south near Opatkowice and in the north in the vicinity of Towne. In a word, the aesthetic revolution has spread throughout Krakow. No one was left out, no one was left out. The investment cost a total of just over PLN 12.5 million, reports the Public Transport Authority of Krakow
Mostly the so-called directional boards were installed, showing the way to popular, tourist places. As many as 150 boards lead to cultural sites. The largest number indicate the location of Wawel Castle, which appears on 67 boards. This is more than the Central Railway Station, which appears 58 times on the boards
In implementing the project to install new signage, Krakow has been divided into 105 areas. This division refers to the historical areas and names of various parts of Krakow or villages near Krakow. The areas were developed in cooperation with researchers from the Cracow University of Economics. It was they who carried out research, historical queries, to determine the proper name of a given place
Some of these discoveries or findings were surprising – and at the same time had an educational function. Thanks to the work on the SIM, it was possible, among other things, to establish the correct name of a hill and an area in Duchacki Podgórze – Kozłówka. It turns out that this name should have been exactly that – just like the other names of the area, taken after the owners: Gubałówka, Golikówka, Baranówka or Traczykówka. In this case, we are talking about a place that once belonged to a person called Kozioł or similar,” reads a press release from the Public Transport Authority
Interesting findings also concern the Polsad roundabout in Prądnik Czerwony. The name of the company that appears should be used in the nominative rather than the complement
With uniform directional signs, the city is better organised. Clear inscriptions will make it easier to determine where you are in the area and to determine the route for further walking or driving. But the changes do not stop there. The ZTP will now encourage property owners to exchange their house number plates. They will receive the graphic design and technical support necessary for its implementation free of charge. Once the new numbers have been placed on all of Krakow’s buildings (or at least on the vast majority of them), the whole system will be complete and order and usability will reach the expected maximum level
source: Public Transport Authority of Krakow
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