On Friday, October 14th, as the first rain of the season started to come down, Downtown business side street signage was being installed on existing poles along Pacific Avenue at the corners of Locust Street, Cooper Street, Church Street, Walnut Avenue, Soquel Avenue, Lincoln Street, and Cathcart Street. The signs have been in the works for the last couple of months and direct pedestrians on Pacific Avenue to shops and restaurants located along downtown side streets.

Following the increased enforcement of rules around commercial vending, and businesses no longer being able to use sandwich board-type signs to call attention to their locations, the City of Santa Cruz Economic Development Office created the Side Street Signage Program to promote and highlight those amazing businesses that are tucked along streets off of Pacific Avenue. 

Signs have been thoughtfully placed and designed to draw attention, but not add to the visual clutter. There has been tons of positive feedback as shoppers and lunch-goers alike begin to notice the newest signage additions, with downtown patrons exclaiming that they had no idea such-and-such business was located on said side street. 

Getting the signs up on poles was the result of a collaborative effort with the Downtown Association, who assisted with finalizing the sign design and performed outreach to all eligible businesses. The signs incorporate the new brand colors of the Downtown Association and each business was able to provide input on the font and style of their business name. Economic Development will continue to work with the DTA to keep the signs updated and swap in new signs with any business turnover.