Improvements to cyclist direction signs in Espoo
The City of Espoo has launched a project where new direction signs for cycling will be installed throughout the city. The aim of the project is to make cycling smoother and to provide clear and uniform direction signage around Espoo. Installation work will begin during 2025 and continue until summer 2026. Some signs will be installed after summer 2026 during other roadwork projects.
Direction signs for cycling are new road signs introduced in 2020 with the revised Road Traffic Act. The new signs guide cyclists to various destinations along direct, logical and safe routes. Various other aspects have also been taken into account when planning the routes. These include hilliness, the quality of winter maintenance, and the number of crossroads with traffic lights. The direction signs provide information on the different routes to cyclists as they travel. The most common directions are for districts and sub-districts. Other destinations on the signs include well-known places such as stations, marketplaces, squares and other notable landmarks.
The new direction signs for cycling also contain new information for cyclists. The new additions include symbols and distance information. In addition to symbols mandated by the Road Traffic Act, the signs also indicate the regional main routes with numbers on pink or yellow background. The pink regional main routes are contained within Espoo, while the yellow routes extend outside the city. The purpose of a regional main route is to connect two important sites. The Eurovelo 10 route is marked with an emblem consisting of stars and the number 10. Eurovelo 10 is a scenic tourist route that extends beyond Finland’s borders and goes around the Baltic Sea. The direction signs indicate the remaining distance to a named site in kilometres. The given distance is usually the distance to a square, a station or other significant area within the site. The direction signs only have a guiding role; cyclists are not required to follow them.
New signs in addition to the orientation boards
In addition to the direction signs for cycling, other signs will also be installed during the project. If necessary, sites inside Espoo will have place name signs for cyclists, indicating arrival at a destination. Place name signs will also be installed on the routes at Espoo’s border, informing cyclists that they are leaving the City of Espoo. Ultimately, all traffic signs will form a single network that will serve cyclists both within the city and in neighbouring municipalities.
The new signs will be installed throughout the City of Espoo, except for sparsely populated areas and some recreational areas. Most of the signs will be installed in dense urban environments that have a large number of route choices and cyclists. Additional signs will also be installed in Kauniainen and on highways. However, these installation works may have different schedules, so some temporary gaps may occur in the signage.
During the installation phase, residents may notice short-term construction sites in various parts of Espoo. The installation work may cause noise and some temporary obstacles for traffic. Worksite arrangements will be planned with the safety of other traffic users in mind. The most important thing for residents is to comply with all given instructions near worksites and to follow the temporary traffic arrangements. Once the new signs are in place, they will make the routes more easily understandable and support safe and predictable mobility.
Direction signs for cycling have already been developed and installed in several cities in Finland. These include cities such as Rovaniemi, Oulu, Lahti, Tampere, Turku, Helsinki and Vantaa. Espoo’s new direction signs have been planned in cooperation with Ramboll Finland Oy. The installation is carried out by Destia Oy. The City of Espoo is responsible for coordinating the project and will publish up-to-date information on the project page when necessary.
The signed routes can be studied in the general plan(external link, opens in a new window) for signage, which people can use to plan their travels and to check how suitable the signed routes are for different mobility needs. The signed routes will also be added to the Espoo map service in the near future.
The direction signs for cycling are part of the broader goal of making sustainable mobility smoother, safer and more intuitive for everyone. The City of Espoo encourages residents to familiarise themselves with the new signs and to provide feedback through the feedback system. With feedback, the service can develop together with the users.