BURST
The city of Vancouver is considering allowing digital billboards at key locations as a way to raise money.
In a request for expressions of interest posted last week , the city identified several high-traffic locations and is gauging interest from third-party advertisers in installing, operating and maintaining digital billboards at those and other sites.
“The city recognizes that advertising contributes to the identity of the city while generating non-tax revenue to fund public infrastructure, amenities and its services,” says the request for expressions of interest.
Finding new ways to raise money are among the steps the city is taking as part of efforts to make cuts to prevent a property tax increase for next year.
“The city wishes to understand where out of home advertising can be located in public spaces to ensure that our residents are valued first as members of our community and secondly as consumers,” the request says.
Preliminary locations being considered for digital billboards include:
Large billboards
• Oak Street Bridge
• Southeast Marine Drive and Knight Street
• Ironworkers Memorial Bridge
• Expo Boulevard
• McGill
Medium billboards
• Southwest Marine at Manitoba
Small billboards
• West 4th and Granville Street
• Boundary Road between Marine and 45th
• Cambie Street
Respondents are invited to pitch the city on these preliminary locations, however, other locations could also be considered, so long as the proposed sign and location fit the parameters of the city’s policy.
Large billboards would measure 4.5 metres high by 14.6 metres wide and would be best suited for highways and major corridors. Medium billboards are about half as wide, measuring 3.6 metres high by 7.3 metres wide, more in line with what’s typically seen in the city. Small billboards measure three metres high and either six or nine metres wide.
Regardless of size, billboards would need to be at least 14 metres away from traffic signs and intersections, at least 4.5 metres off the roadway and 2.75 metres off sidewalks. They cannot obstruct or compete with drivers’ view of traffic signals. There are also limits to how bright they can be, with requirements for automatic dimming, and minimum durations and smooth transitions between ads, with no flashing, animation or sound.
In the expressions of interest to be submitted, the city is also asking advertisers to include details on expected revenue share, “which may include a minimum annual guarantee.”
This comes after city council unanimously approved its public realm advertising framework in September, a policy that will maximize revenue opportunities for the city, while managing impact to the public realm.
Before the framework’s approval, there was no cohesive policy guiding third-party advertising in the city; instead, it was handled based on whether the sign is located on private or public land, and on a case-by-case basis, leading to inconsistency and “substantial forgone revenues,” according to a city report .