Campus Safety Signs Point The Way

If someone asked for directions to Patterson Hall, how would you respond? Those who have previously struggled to navigate Eastern Washington University’s campus can rest assured; EWU Construction and Planning Services is in the midst of a project that will update EWU campus addresses, streets and lanes with easy-to-remember names.

The Campus Fire Life Safety Signage project will bring EWU into compliance with the 2015 International Fire Code, which states that buildings must have legible addresses with street-view visibility.

“Eastern is unusual in that it has quite a few buildings that are not linked to city streets,” said Shawn King, associate vice president for facilities and planning. “In order to be responsive to emergency needs, we decided to make this a priority.”

Beginning Jan. 1, 2019, each building on EWU’s campus will have a designated street address that will be loaded into the county database. Cleverly labeled street signs like “Study Lane” and “Swoop Lane” will serve a variety of wayfinding purposes, while GPS mapping will improve response times for the City of Cheney Fire and Police Departments, as well as for outside emergency responders.

To further assist in navigation, the university will provide a virtual walk-through that will serve as an automated tour to those unfamiliar with Eastern’s campus. “We’re looking at this as a comprehensive way for people who come to campus to get around,” said King.

With the street signs already in effect, individuals can expect to see all building address signs installed by September 2019.