BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 2375
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Date of Hearing: April 23, 2012
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION
Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
AB 2375 (Knight) - As Introduced: February 24, 2012
SUBJECT : Illuminated signs on public transit buses
SUMMARY : Establishes, until January 1, 2018, a pilot program
for the Antelope Valley Transit Authority (Antelope) allowing
their transit buses to advertise on their side-mounted
illuminated signs. Specifically, this bill :
1)Authorizes, until January 1, 2018, Antelope to establish a
pilot program allowing their publicly-owned transit buses to
be equipped with illuminated signs that display digital
advertisements.
2)Establishes conditions governing the use of illuminated
display advertising signs including:
a) Signs shall emit diffused non-glaring light.
b) Signs shall not be greater than 4,464 square inches in
area.
c) Signs shall not be installed in a position that
interferes with the visibility of required lamps,
reflectors, or other devices.
d) Signs shall not be forward or backward facing (i.e., not
on the front or rear of the bus).
e) Light emitting diodes for illumination may include red
provided the colored formed by the mixing of light from the
diodes in the advertising is not red.
1)Prohibits buses from using the streaming or paging mode for
the illuminated signs when the vehicles are operated on state
freeways.
2)Requires Antelope to submit a specified report to the
Legislature by July 1, 2017, on the incidence of adverse
impacts due to the use of the illuminated signs, if any.
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3)Limits the number of buses with illuminated signs to 25 for
two years, after which Antelope may increase the total number
to 30.
4)Sunsets the provisions of the bill on January 1, 2018.
EXISTING LAW:
1)Establishes a pilot program until January 1, 2017, for the
City of Santa Monica (Santa Monica) to implement a pilot
program allowing their transit buses to advertise on their
side-mounted illuminated signs. Establishes the
specifications and prohibitions of the illuminated signs.
Prohibits the buses from using the streaming or paging mode
for the illuminated signs when the vehicles are operated on
state freeways. Requires Santa Monica to submit a report to
the Legislature by July 1, 2016, on the incidence of adverse
impacts, if any.
2)Authorizes buses, operated by a publicly-owned transit system
on regularly scheduled service to be equipped with illuminated
destination signs.
3)Authorizes dynamic messaging on all illuminated signs if the
practice adheres to prescribed requirements.
4)Defines "lighting equipment" as an illuminated sign installed
on a bus that utilizes an electronic display to convey the
route designation, route number, run number, or any
combination thereof.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown
COMMENTS : Public transit agencies have long used static signs
placed on the sides of buses to display advertising. Transit
agencies receive revenue from firms that use the signs for
advertising. A project sponsored by the Transit Cooperative
Research Program, a joint venture of the Federal Transit
Administration and the Transportation Research Board, identified
the emerging media of digital bus advertising as a revenue
stream for transit agencies.
The digital signs are ultra-thin, light weight, light emitting
diode screens that can easily be mounted on the sides of buses.
Digital advertising allows for customize advertising, including
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a rate structure that varies by the time of day, because the
advertising being displayed can be managed remotely. It is,
therefore, possible to render the advertising static when the
buses are operating on freeways.
According to the author, "This bill creates a 5-year pilot
program to allow Antelope buses to display illuminated signs for
advertising purposes. These signs would have the ability to
change and scroll, based on specified conditions. Digital signs
reduce labor costs and eliminate wasteful paper signs. The
adoption of these provisions would allow Antelope to have an
innovative way to generate revenue beyond the fare box and tax
subsidies."
Legislation was enacted last year that allowed the City of Santa
Monica to use illuminated advertising on the sides of their
public transit buses. This bill is modeled after that
legislation.
Although all options for raising additional revenues for
Antelope should be explored, one may question if adding a new
pilot program at this time is premature as the assessment of the
current pilot program for the City of Santa Monica is ongoing.
Related bills : AB 607 (Brownley), Chapter , Statutes of 2011,
establishes a pilot program for the City of Santa Monica
allowing their transit buses to use illuminated signs for
purposes of advertising.
AB 1984 (Wagner) of 2012, a similar bill that would allow the
University of California, at Irvine, to advertise on their
public shuttle buses. That bill passed out of this committee on
April 16, 2012.
SB 1295 (Huff), of 2012, would allow local school districts to
advertise on the exterior of the yellow school buses. That bill
passed out of the Senate Transportation and Housing Committee
and is to be heard in the Senate Committee on Education.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
Support
Antelope Valley Transit Authority
City of Lancaster
AB 2375
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City of Palmdale
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Ed Imai / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093