This document discusses the debate around billboards and their impact on communities. It notes that while billboard companies claim they are essential for travelers, many argue that billboards overwhelm homes, landscapes, and historic areas, causing visual blight. The document presents examples of how communities have prospered by removing billboards and suggests that logo signs are a better way to provide information to travelers while preserving natural beauty.

1. Beautiful roadways appeal to visitors and
residents alike.

2. Or do we want “ litter on a stick” to be our
experience?

3. Trees, skies and natural beauty…

4. Or ugly, distracting, overwhelming signs.

5. Many billboards do not promote local venues.
This billboard is in Jasper, Ala.

6. Content on billboards cannot be controlled by the
government.

7. What do you want people to think of your community?

8. What do you want families to see when they
enter your city?

9. Even suggestive advertising canno t be
outlawed.

10. Cities have tried unsuccessfully to limit the
kinds of businesses that advertise.

11. It’ s hard to promote a family-friendly town
when this is what visitors see.

12. Billboard companies claim their product is
essential for travelers. How?

13. Although
billboards can
make for some
ironic
juxtapositions.

14. Billboards can
generate
controversy
and “ billboard
wars” .

15. Once a billboard is up, people want to be as
“ in your face” as possible

16. Here are some more examples of bad
billboards

20. Billboards overwhelm homes, and if they are
converted to LED, they cause light pollution.

21. Billboards are a blight in historic
neighborhoods.

22. Digital Boards like this one are a new
problem.

23. They are bright – even glaring – and quite
distracting

24. They dominate the
streetscape – which of
course is what the
billboard company wants.

25. This one at the San Francisco Bay Bridge has
caused a big public outcry

26. Business is better without billboards.
Birmingham’ s Five Points South was a
blighted area in the 1980s.

27. When the billboards were removed and other
improvements made, the area prospered.

28. Today, it is the entertainment center of the
city. Frank Stitt’ s nationally renowned
Highlands Bar and Grill is here.

29. Unincorporated “ pockets” of land allowed
billboards to destroy lovely views, this one
along the Cahaba River.

30. Billboards can distract on roadways where
attention is vital.

31. This is the McCalla area with enormous
billboards.

32. Wouldn’ t you rather visit or live here?

33. Logo signs are the best way to communicate
with travelers.

34. Tourists get accurate information when they
need it.

35. An example of how to turn off tourists… the
Foley Beach Express

36. Don’ t even try to see the scenery – it is
overrun with billboards.

37. This section of road
shows the contrast
between lovely
trees…

38. …and the ugly blight
of billboards. Which
place would you
rather stop and visit?

39. Promoting greenways and saving public trees is a
new Scenic Alabama focus

40. It started with a group in Baldwin County
who saw a lovely tree-lined road destroyed
for a shopping center view.

41. We worked with
ALDOT to get a new
policy that does not
allow clear cutting
of trees for
developments.

42. Our legislative priority is a fair state fee for
billboards, to allow the state to implement and
enforce the Highway Beautification Act.

43. We are also going
to try and address
the problem of
illegal roadway
signs, by making
it possible to
legally identify
the person
responsible for
placing them.

44. And although it might
be a long way off, we
want to work toward a
law prohibiting any new
billboard construction
in Alabama.

45. We want to continue the legacy of Lady Bird
Johnson

46. And make our highways, the lifeblood of our
state,

47. a beautiful reflection of who we are.