The city of Kalispell is asking for proposals for someone to design a citywide system of way-finding signs to better promote local attractions and boost the tourism industry.

Published Dec. 15 and open through Jan. 16, the request for proposals follows the completion of a $4,000 way-finding study by Cygnet Strategies, a tourism consulting firm in Helena.

The condition and the placement of signs, or a lack of signs, can make it hard for visitors to Kalispell to find their way to area attractions, the study found.

Some signs are old and faded beyond recognition. Others are buried in tree limbs or set back off the street and out of sight.

The city’s bike and walking paths have no signs at their trailheads, the study showed.

“It found some deficiencies, for instance, no sign saying where the downtown is off Highway 2,” Community Development Manager Katharine Thompson said.

In some cases there are too many signs.

The study pointed to parking signs downtown with at least five different types of parking restrictions. Many of the parking signs are worn and hard to read.

“The plan is to create some cohesive and highly visible signage that helps residents and nonresidents find the attractions here in Kalispell and encourages them to stay longer and, frankly, spend more money here,” Thompson said.

Utilizing money from a Preserve America grant from the National Park Service, the city has set aside up to $35,000 for the design of a way-finding system for both the downtown and the city as a whole.

The goal is to install signs that do a better job of guiding motorists off highways and to downtown destinations and area attractions, and directing pedestrians to areas of interest such as parks, trails, historical sites and museums.

“Way-finding is about making it easy for people to find their way around, easy to know what there is to see and do nearby,” Vicky Soderberg, the owner of Cygnet Strategies, said while presenting her study’s findings in October.

The city is asking for a proposal that will define sign types, designs and locations, using the results of the way-finding study already done, and develop bid documents that can be used later to initiate the project.

“We’re hoping to create a concept and move forward with implementing it over time,” Thompson said.

The way-finding project, just one aspect of the Preserve America grant, is a joint effort by the city, the Kalispell Business Improvement District, the Kalispell Convention and Visitors Bureau and three local museums: Hockaday Museum of Art, Conrad Mansion and Museum at Central School.

Reporter Tom Lotshaw may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at tlotshaw@dailyinterlake.com.