Developing Effective Wayshowing for Byways 
AN INITIATIVE TO ASSIST BYWAY PROVIDERS HELP TRAVELERS FIND THEIR WAY 
ALONG AMERICA’S BEST ROADS 

LOGO: America's Byways Resource Center

How do we find the byway? 
Where does the byway start and end? 
Where are the special byway places? 
Where are we now? 
How do we get back home? 

PHOTO: What happens if these 
questions don’t get answered on your 
byway? 


SIDEBAR: Effective Wayshowing for 
Byway Travelers Must: 

A. Support how people find their 
   way in unfamiliar travel 
   environments 
B. Provide a guidance system of 
   reliable and consistent 
   components on all byways 
C. Respond to the unique 
   characteristics of each byway 
D. Be integrated with pre-visit, visit, 
   and post-visit stages of the 
   byway experience 
E. Contribute to a safe roadway 
   and travel environment 
F. Become a widely practiced body 
   of knowledge among byway providers 


SIDEBAR: The America’s Byways® Resource Center 
assumes the responsibility to support every 
nationally designated byway organization with the 
bodies of knowledge that will: 

• Build sustainable local byway organizations; 
• Foster networking among local and state 
  byway organizations; and 
• Deliver authentic experiences for byway 
  travelers. 


SIDEBAR: JUST THE FACTS: 
SPONSOR: America’s Byways® Resource Center 
394 Lake Avenue South Suite 600 Duluth, MN 55802 

AUDIENCE FOR WAYSHOWING ASSISTANCE:
Byway Providers: Byway leaders, coordinators and individuals as well as 
professionals, state DOT byway coordinators, volunteers, public 
officials, special interest representatives, and others who 
steward a byway’s intrinsic qualities and deliver the desired byway experience 

RESOURCE CENTER CONTACTS: 
Curt Pianalto (218) 625-3304 cpianalto@byways.org 
Dennis Adams (218) 625-3312 dadams@byways.org 

AUTHOR: David L. Dahlquist Associates, 
L.L.C. 5204 Shriver Ave. Des Moines, IA 50312 
(515) 326-1593 ddahlquist@mchsi.com 


SIDEBAR: Wayfinding. Wayshowing. Who does what? 

Wayfinding is the 
mental process, 
performed by byway 
travelers, that turns a 
traveler’s goal into 
decisions, actions, 
and behaviors. 

Wayfinding is 
continuous 
problem solving 
under uncertainty. 

Wayfinding 
is what byway travelers do 
Seeing 
Reading 
Hearing 
Learning 

Wayshowing 
is what byway providers do 
Drawing 
Writing 
Speaking 
Teaching 

Wayshowing is the 
communication of 
information, 
intentionally 
undertaken by byway 
providers, to aid 
travelers in setting 
desired goals, making
decisions, and taking 
appropriate actions. 


SIDEBAR: Five Stage of a Wayfinding 
Experience for Byway Travelers 

PRE-VISIT
Choose - Select   
Plan - Prepare

VISIT
Travel - Visit

POST-VISIT
Recall - Reflect
Repeat - Share


MEDIA RELEVANCY:
PRE-VISIT
Choose - Select 

HIGH MEDIA RELEVANCY:
Print Brochure
Web Site
Advertisements

LOW MEDIA RELEVANCY:
Guidance Signs
Merchandise
 
Plan - Prepare
HIGH MEDIA RELEVANCY:
Print Brochure
Web Site

MEDIUM MEDIA RELEVANCY: 
Wayside Interpretive Exhibits
Merchandise

LOW MEDIA RELEVANCY: 
Advertisements
Guidance Signs


VISIT
Travel - Visit

HIGH MEDIA RELEVANCY: 
Guidance Signs
Wayside Interpretive Exhibits

MEDIUM MEDIA RELEVANCY:
Print Brochure
Merchandise

LOW MEDIA RELEVANCY:
Web Site

POST-VISIT
Recall - Reflect
MEDIUM MEDIA RELEVANCY:
Web Site
Guidance Signs
Wayside Interpretive Exhibits
Merchandise

LOW MEDIA RELEVANCY:
Print Brochure
Advertisements

Repeat - Share
MEDIUM MEDIA RELEVANCY:
Print Brochure
Web Site
Guidance Signs
Merchandise


SIDEBAR: The Byway Guidance System 
A. Entrances, Exists and Gateways 
B. Orientation Stops 
C. Repetitive Route Markers 
D. Directions to Planned Stops 
E. Portable Byway Map 

PHOTO: Sample Byway Map (Ohio River Scenic Byway-Illinois)