Lexington will take down 77 green wayfinding signs. Here’s why
Lexington will soon be removing 77 large, green wayfinding signs around the city, as many have fallen into disrepair.
As part of its discussions about how to spend a $6.3 million surplus, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council on Tuesday voted to set aside $55,000 to take down the large green signs that dot many of Lexington’s major corridors and streets with directions to major attractions.
Councilwoman Whitney Elliott Baxter chairs the city’s corridors commission, which is tasked with making improvements to the city’s major roadways. Baxter said the signs were installed prior to the 2010 World Equestrian Games.
However, the city did not set aside money for maintenance and repairs. After 15 years, many have fallen into disrepair, she said.
“These signs do no meet state or federal (highway signage) guidelines,” Baxter said.
If the city replaced the signs, they would have to be different in order to meet those state and federal guidelines.
The $55,000 will go toward paying city crews to remove and dispose of the signs. If the city contracted the work, it would be triple that amount, she said.
It’s not clear when the signs will be removed, she said, but it will likely be sometime in the winter or spring.
Meanwhile, the city and VisitLex — the city’s tourism bureau — are working on new wayfinding sign designs. It’s likely the corridors commission will return to ask for funding for those new signs in the next budget, Baxter said.
This story was originally published October 22, 2025 at 10:05 AM.
