Item 65: Billboard Relocation & Item 66: Transit-Oriented Signage

[Jose Chito Vela]

Colleagues,

In December 2024, I sponsored a resolution to examine our city’s regulations concerning off-premise signage with the goals of improving transit usability, facilitating transportation improvements, communicating information to the public more effectively, and removing obstacles to redevelopment for housing.

One way to achieve these goals is through allowing updateable digital signage at bus and rail stops, bikeshares, and kiosks on busy downtown streets. These signs could provide constantly updated information on bus and train schedules, traffic, accidents, and emergency alerts. They could also help educate the public about city services, drought or wildfire restrictions, and other civic resources. And finally, allowing advertising on the signs would provide valuable revenue to keep transit fares affordable and help pay for infrastructure improvements.

We also asked staff to look at the rules around what happens to billboards when land is taken or given to the state or city for construction of rail lines, roads, and other transit-oriented infrastructure, or when redevelopment is being considered that could add to the city’s housing resources. We wanted to see what changes could help speed up and save money on transit projects such as Project Connect or encourage properties with billboards to redevelop with more housing.

In response, staff proposed a set of changes that are now items 65 and 66 on Thursday’s Council meeting agenda. Item 66 relates to the realtime, digital transit-oriented signage and wayfinding kiosks, which I strongly support. Austin is one of the few major urban transit systems in the world that lacks signs with up-to-the-minute information.

Item 65 addresses the relocation of billboards. The item addresses the issue narrowly, focusing on a very specific set of billboards on land that may be condemned or conveyed for transportation improvements. But public feedback and recent Planning Commission meetings have demonstrated that there are many unanswered questions about the larger issues surrounding billboard relocation. For example, discussions around the appropriate distance of billboards from residential areas for these transportation-related relocations spurred discussion of the appropriate buffer for any relocated sign. Residential redevelopment has not been a part of the conversation. What is the expected impact of current and pending construction projects?

At the moment, I don’t believe Council and staff have all of the information they need to decide whether item 65 is the right approach to accomplishing not just our transportation and housing goals, but also the implications for the city’s broader policies concerning billboards. I will be offering a motion to postpone the item to our next meeting to better understand the issue and consider the proposed changes. I hope you will join me to ensure that this complex issue is addressed in an informed and thoughtful way.

Chito

[Jose Chito Vela]

Just a quick update: after speaking with our Law Department, I will be moving to postpone to the April 23 Council meeting to give staff sufficient time to work with Council offices and answer questions.

Chito