Illinois Outdoor Advertising Control Program Process Review

What needs to be done to bring the program into the 21st Century? What’s broke and needs fixed??

Bringing the OAC Program into the 21st Century More sensitive to

highway beauty program goals

More sensitive to highway safety concerns

Avoiding unnecessary frustration of commerce (Why the Bonus Program?)

Interstate Outdoor Advertising Bonus Program

Illinois one of 23 voluntary “bonus” states as a result of 1958 F.A. Highway Act

IDOT paid $3.7M (last payment in 1981) Requires control of signs adjacent to the Interstate

over and above the mandatory requirements of the 1965 HBA

Requires the permitting of Interstate on-premise signs and Interstate for sale/for lease signs

Bonus program driven upon zoning and corporate limits as they existed on September 21, 1959!

Interstate Outdoor Advertising Bonus Program

Recommendation: IDOT should critically evaluate the pros and cons of continuing the Interstate bonus program as outlined in the 2004 Joint FHWA/IDOT Process Review of the OAC Program in Illinois.

Local Zoning Actions Created Primarily to Allow Billboards Problems in zoned counties and

municipalities Areas adjacent to controlled routes zoned

C or I with no C or I development Problems with interpretation of Section

750.708(b) of 23 CFR acceptance of state zoning for purposes of the HBA

Local Zoning Actions Created Primarily to Allow Billboards Recommendation: IDOT should seek an

amendment to the Administrative Code that would require C & I zoned areas to be actually developed commercially or industrially before business area signs permits are issued. (Note: the following are graphic examples of permitted billboards in “commercial” areas.)

Commercial Electronic Variable Message Signs (CEVMS) and Highway Safety Issues!!!!! CEVMS (findings):

Many on-premise CEVMS signs with red LED displays are interfering with traffic signals along arterial primary routes

Administrative Code allows CEVMS on-premise signs as long as messages change at “reasonable intervals”

Many CEVMS on-premise signs have animated and/or scrolling messages

Most CEVMS are of the on-premise variety, there are very few CEVMS off-premise signboards, but the Administrative Code allows CEVMS off-premise signs that change not more than once every hour

CEVMS Findings cont. Great disparity between on-premise CEVMS and

off-premise CEVMS On-premise signs can change electronically at

“reasonable intervals”, e.g., every few seconds Off-premise signs can change electronically only once

every 60 minutes Neither on-premise CEVMS or off-premise CEVMS

may incorporate “tri-vision” components The following pictures demonstrate CEVMS and some

of the problems CEVMS can create with highway safety

Commercial Electronic Variable Message Signs (CEVMS) and Highway Safety Issues!!!!! CEVMS (findings):

Many on-premise CEVMS with red LED displays are interfering with traffic lights

Many on-premise CEVMS have animated and/or scrolling messages

CEVMS are primarily limited to on-premise type signs, but industry is interested in CEVMS (tri-vision) technology for off-premise commercial signs

Administrative code is severely limits CEVMS for off-premise signs but is very ambiguous for on-premise signs

Illinois/FHWA Agreement to Control Outdoor Advertising Adjacent to Interstate and Primary Systems, 4/25/72

•State/Federal Agreement under Section III, Lighting Provisions: signs may be illuminated subject to the following restrictions:

–(1) No flashing, intermittent, or moving lights except those for public service (time/temp),

–(2) No signs that are not shielded as to prevent light from being directed at the traveled way to cause glare or impair the driver’s vision.

Illinois/FHWA Agreement Cont.–(3) No sign illuminated so as to interfere with a traffic sign or signal, and

–(4) other provisions relating to lighting of signs applicable to highways under state jurisdiction.

Illinois Administrative Code/Regulations & Control of Outdoor Advertising•92 Ill. Admin. Code, Part 522 “Control of Outdoor Advertising Adjacent to the Primary and Interstate Highways”

–Section 522.150: Off- premise signs may not be erected or maintained if they contain oscillating, rotating, flashing, intermittent or moving lights except signs with displays that change not more frequently that once every 60 minutes.

– Section 522.190: On-premise electronic variable message signs are allowed as long as their messages change at reasonable intervals.

Commercial Electronic Variable Message Signs (CEVMS): Recommendations IDOT, FHWA and the Outdoor Advertising

Association of Illinois (OAAI) work together to develop and propose CEVMS lighting and spacing regulations for both on-premise and off-premise signs

Proposed CEVMS regulations should reflect current prevailing standards (including reasonable interval criteria) and should insure that highway safety is not compromised

Timely Detection & Removal of Illegal and Abandoned Signs Illegal and Abandoned Signs (Findings):

All Districts indicated they needed to “step up efforts” to detect and remove illegal and abandoned signs

Abandoned signs and signs in disrepair are the greatest affronts to the highway beauty program

The OAAI has indicated a willingness to cooperate with IDOT in the identification and removal of illegal and abandoned signs

Illegal & Abandoned Signs cont. Illegal and Abandoned Signs

(Recommendations): The Administrative Code when amended should

include a definition for “abandoned sign” IDOT should solicit the help and cooperation of

OAAI in the identification of illegal and abandoned signs, and set a high priority to step up efforts with the Districts to remove illegal and abandoned in a timely fashion

Part 522 of the Illinois Administrative Code Recommendation: IDOT should amend the OAC

regulations under Part 522 incorporating the aforementioned recommendations. The new regulations should be separated by systems, that is, by Interstate and by Primary; and the new regulations should be written in layman’s language. A workgroup composed of IDOT signboard managers, IDOT legal, FHWA representatives, and OAAI representatives should be considered in the drafting of the new proposed changes.