Tourist Oriented Directional Signs: A Self-supporting Program to Promote Rural Business and Economic Development

Abstract

Benefits, costs, and procedures. were evaluated in Oregon and Washington for pro moting rural tourist-oriented businesses by administering the erection of uniform roadway signs which identify rural small businesses and indicate their direction and distance. The programs in Oregon and Washington were studied because their heavily subscribed Tourist Oriented Directional Signs (TODS) programs are among the earliest programs developed. Both TODS programs are supported entirely from nominal business subscriber fees (of a few hundred dollars per year), with the total economic benefits estimated to be nearly 2,500 times their cost in Oregon and over 1,000 times their cost in Washington. This article suggests methods for implementing a TODS program; indicates appropriate subscriber fees that will cover program costs and meet state objectives of making the program self-supporting; addresses alternative organizational structures that can be used within existing state administrative constraints and apportunities; and identifies key implementa tion issues for states to address in developing their progrants.