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Outdoor Advertising Control

Gerald Solomon, Esq., Director, Office of Real Estate Services

Office of Planning, Environment, and Realty

Federal Highway Administration

U. S. Department of Transportation

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Outdoor Advertising Control

I. International Scan - Outdoor Advertising Control: Best Practices Policy and Implementation

II. Research:A. The Effects of Commercial Electronic Variable Message

Signs (CEVMS) on Driver Attention and DistractionB. Conflict AssessmentC. Outdoor Advertising and the Economy D. Research - NCHRP

III. National Highway Institute Training Courses

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I. INTERNATIONAL SCAN - Outdoor Advertising Control: Best Practices

Policy and Implementation

Sponsoring Offices: • Federal Highway Administration, Office of Real Estate

Services• Federal Highway Administration, Office of

Infrastructure• Federal Highway Administration, Office of Operations

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I. INTERNATIONAL SCAN - Outdoor Advertising Control: Best Practices Policy and Implementation (continued)

• Implementing the successful practices found in other countries

• identify key processes, programs, regulations and controls established in other countries.

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II. RESEARCH - The Effects of Commercial Electronic Variable Message Signs (CEVMS) on Driver Attention and Distraction: An Update (Phase I)

Publication No. FHWA-HRT-09-018, February 2009

Final Report posted on FHWA web site -http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/realestate/cevms.htm

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II. RESEARCH - The Possible Effects of CEVMS on Driver Attention and Distraction: Field Experimental Plan

• On-road instrumented vehicle studies

• Multiple drivers (Various age, driving experience, route similarity, etc)

• Pertinent measures (Eye glance behavior, Driving Performance)

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II. RESEARCH - The Possible Effects of CEVMS on Driver Attention and Distraction: Field Experimental Plan

• Preparing to perform pilot test• Collection of field data: July -

November 2009• Interim draft report Late 2009• Final draft report due to FHWA -

Early 2010

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II. RESEARCH - Conflict Assessment: Federal Outdoor Advertising Control – Report issued January 2007

Prepared by the Osprey Group to the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution; Publication number FHWA-HEP-07-015; Hyperlink to original assessment report: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/realestate/oaconf.htm

Recommendation: FHWA convene an ad hoc forum to address substantive issue(s).

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II. RESEARCH - Conflict Assessment: Federal OAC - The next step

FHWA contracted with the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution to proceed

Issue selected for possible emerging consensus: “Nonconforming signs –Definition of Destroyed”

Ad Hoc group organized: State regulators, Scenic Groups, Outdoor Advertising Industry, FHWA

Convened OAC Workshop on “the definition of Destroyed Signs”, December 3-4, 2008

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II. RESEARCH - Conflict Assessment: Federal OAC - The next step (continued)

Destroyed Sign Definition – Collaboration• January 19, 2009 - NAHBA

teleconference• April 21, 2009 – AASHTO, ROW

Technical Council – Outdoor Adverting Regulation

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II. RESEARCH - Conflict Assessment: Federal OAC - The next step (continued)

Proposed second issue: Highway Beautification: Outdoor Advertising Sign Reduction - Pilot Projects:– State of Florida, Interstate 75 (being developed)– State of South Carolina, Interstates 95 and 26

(approved April 6, 2009)

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II. RESEARCH - Outdoor Advertising and the Economy

Project Title:  Identifying Research Questions on the Impact of Outdoor Advertising to the Economy of the Surrounding Area– Preliminary study– Identify the benefits and the losses that are

experienced by advertising signs in tourist areas– Evaluate the effectiveness of LOGO and TODS

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II. RESEARCH - NCHRP

NCHRP 20-7 (256) – Safety Impacts of the Emerging Digital Display Technology for Outdoor Advertising Signs; Jerry Wachtel

NCHRP 20-7 (247) - Outdoor Advertising Sign Regulation Study; Clyde Johnson

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III. National Highway Institute: OAC Training Course, Web-based

• FHWA-NHI-141048. Outdoor Advertising Control, Bonus States

• FHWA-NHI-141049. Outdoor Advertising Control, Non-Bonus States

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III. National Highway Institute: OAC Training Course, Web-based (Continued)

• Length - 6.0 hours

• CEU - 0.6 units

• Fee - free per participant

• Registration – www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov• Technical information- Catherine O’Hara

(202) 366-9901; catherine.o’hara@dot.gov