Officials debate safety of flashy signs

By Mallory Panuska-Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT, WV

Drivers heading southbound on Route 250 may have recently noticed a new, flashy addition to the area’s skyline in an unincorporated territory between the boundary lines of Fairmont and White Hall.Known as a Light Emitting Diode (LED) billboard, this brightly colored digital sign displays advertisements for five local businesses in eight second intervals. And while the Department of Highways (DOH) considers this a positive advancement for the advertising industry, other officials have questioned the safety aspect of a flashing distraction along this busy stretch of road. “I would have some concerns about the issue,” said Fairmont City Planner Jay Rogers of the sign. “Drivers can be distracted by the messages. It is kind of compound, where it is located on that road.”And although Rogers said Fairmont’s code does not allow this type of signage within the city’s corporate limits, he said the area where it has been erected, just several feet from Muriale’s Restaurant and just before Wood’s Boathouse, is not considered part of the city.Similarly, the neighboring town of White Hall’s billboard ordinance, which is currently being tweaked to clear up its language for other purposes, also does not allow for this type of display within its boundary lines. “It would be a distraction for drivers. It would be more of a safety issue, especially on a busy stretch of road where there are quite a few accidents anyway,” said White Hall Mayor Jesse Corley of the reasons the town chose to ban this type of signage in its boundaries. In fact, at White Hall’s Monday council meeting, several officials brought up this newly erected sign and said they noticed it clearly while driving along the road recently. “It is eye catching,” said Councilwoman Beverly Owens of the sign. Additionally, Councilman Chad Corley said he almost pulled over off of the road to time how often the pictures changed on the billboard, and noticed other drivers slowing down as well. However, because the area in which this particular billboard stands is between the two corporate boundary lines of Fairmont and White Hall and County Planner Richard Walton said there is no ordinance banning these signs within the county, it is completely legal for this advertisement to be displayed at this location.And according to a representative of Lamar Outdoor Advertising, the company responsible for displaying the billboard, this particular advertisement has been flashing above Route 250 since July 16 with no reports of any accidents. But while Carolyn Ledsome, director of central communications in Marion County, confirmed this fact, she added that this section of Route 250 has been the site of a number of vehicle accidents in the past. The representative from Lamar added that there are similar billboards the company erected in both Clarksburg and Morgantown that have not returned any proof of larger volumes of car accidents, but declined to comment any further on the issue. In 2006, the DOH passed an ordinance allowing these types of signs in West Virginia in an effort to keep up with the advertising practices of other surrounding states, said Bill Light, DOH division chief for outdoor advertising.“(Advertisers in the industry) came and wanted more signage,” said Light. “They wanted the same playing field for advertising in the state of West Virginia that they had in Ohio and other states. So, we wrote the code change.”Introduced first in Wheeling, these types of signs, which carry a list of rules and regulations for safe and proper display, began popping up all over the state, including Beckley, Huntington, Clarksburg and Morgantown.Light added that if a car is driving at 60 or 70 mph by one of these signs, the driver will likely not even see it change. However, he said most of the signs are not displayed on interstate-type roads, but more on city and town roads where there are lower speed limits and more stoplights so the advertisers will receive more exposure.Where the billboard is on Route 250, the speed limit is 45 mph, and traffic is currently stop-and-go with the turn-off for Muriale’s and other roads and businesses within view.In spite of the criticism from some, Light said he has read studies on these LED billboards across the country that have proven they do not pose any harm to drivers, especially with the strict DOH regulations in place.“We put everything in that would relate to any issues or problems that the state would have,” said Light of the regulations. “We haven’t been advised of any major problems or issues that that type of (signage) has caused. It is a good move for the industry and the state of West Virginia.”Light added that the company keeps an eye on the reactions of the viewing public to these billboards for both safety and targeted response reasons with cameras attached to the displays. “Every time you drive by and look at one of those signs, they can see you on a computer watching the billboard,” he said. “There are cameras looking at the face of the billboard to make sure that what it’s supposed to be doing, it’s doing.”He said in the future, these types of signs may also be used for not only advertising, but public notification purposes.“(The advertising industry) does not want a dangerous distraction any more than the state does. They are merely trying to advertise a product for good of service,” said Light in defense of these signs. “With a year behind us, we have no knowledge of any wreck or any complaints of wrecks or any distractions at any of the billboard sites.”