LAist: Fighting LA's Billboard Blight

polaroidgirl

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:57:31 -0800

Yes, those digital billboards are blinding and awful - they need to go.

BingosDingo

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:35:38 -0800

I'm not sure how any legislation will help. The companies are notorious for taking advantage of loop holes and misunderstanding in their contracts. I would like to see the new digital bill-boards have a dimmer function installed for night-time displays. Right now they project at the same level of brightness 24/7. Some of those ads are damned near blinding at night. I think this is potential dangerous near freeways.

Linkracer

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 11:25:03 -0800

Market solutions: Stop flat-out restricting the number of billboards allowed, just charge higher prices for the permits/licenses and charge monthly or yearly fees to keep the license. Result: The number of billboards go down and revenue to the city goes up. Win/Win for constituents. Second solution: Similar to carbon credits, have billboard credits and auctions. Only allow X amount of digital billboards at a time, and auction off the rights to have those billboards. Then companies can trade and buy and sell the billboard credits between themselves. All the while, paying renewal yearly fees to the city for owning the credit. These aren't tough concepts people. Someone get me elected to city council.

StephanieInCA

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:55:06 -0800

We dealt with a similar issue in 2000 when I was living in Missouri: There was a ballot measure (Prop A, I believe) to seriously restrict the construction of new billboards in the state. The measure failed, but the unintended consequence was an almost doubling of the number of billboards in the state--Everyone rushed to construct them so that if the measure passed, they would be grandfathered in. So, be careful what you wish for (or put on the ballot).