TxDOT to consider allowing cities to permit electronic billboards

AUSTIN — Electronic billboards with changeable advertising could be allowed in Texas under rules being considered by the state transportation commissioner.
The rules being given preliminary review Thursday would still require home-rule cities to allow the billboards and would not permit them on rural highways. Cities would have the final say whether the signs would be allowed.
Any signs that are allowed could not have moveable images, such as constantly scrolling pictures. The image on the billboard could not change more than once every eight seconds and the switch to the new message would have to occur within two seconds.
"Movement is the thing we want to prohibit," said John Campbell, the state Transportation Department's right of way division director. "Movement is the bigger safety concern than anything else. You want to minimize that distractive effect."
Preliminary approval would start a 90-day public comment period, including a public hearing, before a final vote.
Despite the limitations of the proposed rule change, Margaret Lloyd, policy director for Scenic Texas, said her organization will oppose it.
"We think this is very premature," Lloyd said. "The jury's still out on safety; the jury's still out on cost; the jury's still out on public will."
Lloyd contends that the Federal Highway Administration, in a 2006 exchange of letters with the state Transportation Department, said that electronic billboards were not legal under a 1972 contract between the federal agency and the state.
Campbell said that is not the department's interpretation of the agreement, made under the auspices of the 1965 Highway Beautification Act

Source: Houston Chronicle