Area parks have had some improvements over the winter, with the placement of wayfaring signs.

There are nine signs total: Ellis Park Trail, Bell Town Trail, Riverfront Loop Trail, Fort Scott Community College Trail, three (including a new trail) at Gunn Park, Uniontown Trail, and the future Industrial Park Trail, according to  Jody Hoener, chair of the Healthy Bourbon County Action Team, that is coordinating the project.

Ellis Park Trail on Twelfth Street and Bell Town Trail in Riverfront Park have completed kiosks.

The next signs to go up will be the Riverfront Loop Trail and the Fort Scott Community College Trail.

It’s been a collaborative effort.

The Wayfinding Signs and Kiosks Project is funded by an American Planning Association-Kansas Chapter and Blue Cross Blue Shield Pathways to Healthy Kansas Grant.

Fort Scott High School carpentry classes have constructed the kiosks.

Trail maps were designed by Simon Ballou. Darren Crays, Designing Edge Graphics, is printing and installing the maps.

The City of Fort Scott is providing the installation of the kiosks.

Wayfinding signs and kiosks are part of creating a system of non-motorized transportation in the area, according to Hoener.  Ensuring consistent signage design and graphics across all signs is best practice to make trails easily identifiable, she said.

The Healthy Bourbon County Action Team consists of Jerry Witt (Fort Scott Bourbon County Riverfront Authority), Frank Halsey (Gunn Park Trails Volunteers), Lindsay Madison (Fort Scott Chamber of Commerce), Todd Farrell (City of Fort Scott) and Jody Hoener ((Mercy Hospital).