Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Monday

November 23, 2009

Digital billboard moratorium is proposed

Bill establishes two-year ban

By HYONHEE SHIN

LANSING -- Drivers might not see any new glowing digital billboards along Michigan highways for a while.

Rep. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, introduced a bill to establish a two-year moratorium on new digital billboards until a federal analysis is completed and safety recommendations are issued by the end of 2011.

Under the proposal, the state would issue no permits for new digital billboards or conversion of existing static billboards to ones with moving animation or flashing lights until Jan. 1, 2012. It would allow existing electronic billboards to remain in use.

Controversy over billboards and driver safety started after a 1951 Minnesota Highways Department study, which reported that an increase in billboards would boost the crash rate. Other studies have reached different conclusions. For example, the Michigan Highway Department found in 1952 that signs don't correlate with crash numbers.

Distracted driving is a subject of growing concern among federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Department of Transportation.

But it's still uncertain whether there's a tie between attention-grabbing digital billboards and traffic safety.

There are two popular types of billboards, traditional and digital. A main difference has to do with shared space, according to EMC Outdoor, a Pennsylvania-based advertising agency.

Digital billboards let advertisers share their space with others as ads are displayed in sequence for six to eight seconds each. But there is only one advertiser on traditional billboards for an entire display period.

A Federal Highway Administration study is under way to explore that safety question, said Hugh McDiarmid, spokesman for the Michigan Environmental Council. The study focuses on the effects of digital billboards on driver behavior and evaluation of their potential risk.

Scenic Michigan, a Petoskey-based environmental coalition, said the federal study could lead to guidelines, regulatory changes or legislative proposals.

About 16,000 billboards dot Michigan highways, said Abby Dart, executive director of Scenic Michigan. "It's second only to Florida in the number of billboards in America."

Peter Steketee, of Grand Rapids, a Scenic Michigan board member, said billboards detract from tourism, Michigan's second-largest industry.

"They're ugly," he said. "Although the number is now capped, there are still too many of them."

Michigan is in a serious economic slump, but tourism could be a bright spot in the economy, Steketee said. "Nobody takes a drive to view billboards along the highway, and many people detest them and go where they are not."

Steketee said digital billboards are much more distracting, and thus more dangerous to drivers than traditional ones.

However, Rick Imshaug, owner of Skyline Outdoor Advertising in Okemos, said there's no safety hazard from digital billboards. He said the temporary ban would hurt the industry and is unnecessary.

"I don't think there are too many billboards along highways. They're in some places but not generally. I believe the state has tons of other problems to deal with."

A poll by Lansing-based EPIC-MRA showed that by a 2-to-1 ratio state residents support a moratorium on digital billboards. Seventy percent of those responding to the survey voiced "strong support."

The bill is pending in the House Great Lakes and Environment Committee.

Hyonshee Shin writes for Michigan State University's Capital News Service.

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