NCHRP 20-7

Proposed Research Needs Statement

AASHTO Highway Subcommittee on Rights of Way and Utilities

John Campbell, Texas Department of Transportation

Approved by vote of the Subcommittee Members in Executive Session in

Orlando, Florida, May 1, 2007

TITLE

Outdoor Advertising Sign Regulation Study

BACKGROUND / NEEDS STATEMENT

The states are required to control outdoor advertising signs which are visible and within 660 feet from the National Highway System by the federal Highway Beautification Act, 23 U.S.C. Sec. 131, and implementing regulations at 23 C.F.R. Part 750. A penalty of 10% of annual federal transportation fund apportionment to the states is provided for failure to exercise control. The outdoor advertising industry generally operates at a national level with signs in numerous states. There is no information or database in existence which identifies all of the various state practices and standards relating to control of outdoor advertising signs. As a consequence, the states are frequently without adequate knowledge of acceptable measures, standards, enforcement and practices in other states which makes administration of the program difficult. A comprehensive study of state practices and measures for control of outdoor advertising is necessary and long overdue. This may lead to later development of AASHTO Guidelines, if needed.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

Under the direction of the Technical Council on Outdoor Advertising of the Highway Subcommittee on Rights of Way and Utilities identify, compile and report on the standards, measures, practices and enforcement of control of outdoor advertising signs in the various states.

WORK TASKS

Tasks anticipated in this project include the following:

·  Identify by questionnaire, phone or personal interviews, standards and practices adopted by the Federal/State Agreement in each state.

·  Identify requirements under state law for control and enforcement of the outdoor advertising sign program in each state.

·  Identify issues with evolving technologies, such as digital electronic changeable message signs, and any research which states have conducted on these issues to date.

·  Identify methods adopted by the states for administration and control of the program, including items such as definition of routine and customary maintenance, definition of destruction of nonconforming signs, frequency of inventory, etc.

·  Identify the state organizational unit and title of the individual state manager responsible for outdoor advertising control in each of the state Departments of Transportation.

·  Provide a narrative report with well organized tables relating to findings on the information above.

URGENCY

Information about outdoor advertising control in the states has been needed for sometime, and its' unavailability impacts the states management and administration of the outdoor advertising control program. It should be developed as soon as reasonably possible.

FUNDING REQUESTED AND TIME REQUIRED

It is estimated that this research will take 6 months to complete and will require $60,000.

CONTACT PERSON

Kenneth M. Towcimak

Director, Office of Right of Way

Florida Department of Transportation, MS 22

605 Suwannee Street

Tallahassee, Florida 32399

Phone: (850) 414-4557

Fax: (850) 414-4850

E-mail: