I noticed that growing up in New Jersey we had hardly any high mast signs at interchanges for local businesses like many states do. Here in Florida they're practically everywhere.
When I was growing up as a kid what got me most interested in roads and stuff was the fact that we never had much of what the other states have. We were always in the shadow of NYC and Philadelphia so we never had our own VHF channels growing up. All of the studios and stations were in and licensed in NY and for South Jersey it was in and licensed in Philadelphia. We never had one of our own cities used as control points in other states on roadways. In fact, many places outside of the Garden State use New Jersey itself as control cities on road signs for roads bound into our state. I actually felt we were more like a third wheel than a state like the others for even Rhode Island had Providence to list on I-95 guides in neighboring states as well.
Even our own signing too was different than most, as our interstate on ramps would be signed mostly with shields only and no control guides. Very few ramps had large green signs which would be the only place control cities were used. We even lacked mileage signs on many roads, particularly on interstates, the Garden State Parkway, and later on the NJ Turnpike. After seeing all of this I always dreamed that I could make New Jersey look to others like they look to us. That is why I got into roads.
After growing up and moving about I found out that there are indeed other places.that are like NJ and maybe some worse. You do not know how glad I was to see Wisconsin and Indiana used as control cities for I-294 in Chicagoland, as I now new that New Jersey was not the only state treated like a city. Then I have seen many places in Orlando that are missing guide signs at I-4 ramps and do the shield only thing as well. Then I noticed a few other places that have missing high mast signs and even billboards, as New Jersey had very few that never used hotels or fast food but automobiles and cigarettes.
Anyway, I was wondering what states or regions or local towns prohibit the use of high mast signs like most of New Jersey does? I know that over the years environmentalists had tried real hard to eliminate the billboards and succeeded in many areas as well as those helpful signs. Some may not have even laws on the books, but locals do not make them or even think about placing them either. I just want from the view of others here where they think that the people do not want these and have not seen them around or know for sure laws that prevent them.
In Illinois, it is subject to local ordinance in home rule municipalities. Most municipalities allow them, but some (Naperville as an example) do not.
For the most part, Maryland forbids all billboards along all Interstate highways. There are a few along freeways in Baltimore City, but in the counties, they are pretty rare.
Along I-287 as you get more and more near NJ 440, I see billboards for local places. I see billboards on certain highways like US 202, NJ 31, etc, but these are not put on high mast bridges. I don't think I've seen many billboards (if at all) on I-78 until I get closer to Newark International Airport... I guess New Jersey just doesn't like using them. But I know as you approach the bridge into Staten Island on NJ 440, there are about 3-5 billboards in a close distance of one another, and they all are in the New Jersey border and display New Jersey businesses on them.
I know that Florida's Turnpike encourages them. Also, try traveling the Atlantic City Expressway and tell me about NJ.
Assuming this is about advertisements:
I have seen electronic ones that cycle through things and are 2/3 advertisements. The ones that are not advertisements have included:
"6", when a Red Sox player died.
"Happy Thanksgiving".
Weather.
"See something, say something."
"Missing person: Abigail Williams." (Or whatever the last name is.)
Once, on the Mass Pike (not electronic), I saw "Heaven or Hell: You decide." How would they make money from that? There may have been a phone number, but I'm not sure.
Quote from: 1 on December 12, 2013, 08:20:07 PM
Once, on the Mass Pike (not electronic), I saw "Heaven or Hell: You decide." How would they make money from that? There may have been a phone number, but I'm not sure.
They probably write it off as a tax break. Like the 'heart starts beating after n days therefore life begins at conception' logic failures on Florida's Turnpike.
Quote from: Steve on December 12, 2013, 07:21:24 PM
Also, try traveling the Atlantic City Expressway and tell me about NJ.
I've never been anywhere around the ACX, so why don't you tell me? :)
New Jersey has some maybe cause there were plenty erected before the thought of high mount signs ever became a real issue. I lived in Clark, NJ all of my child and adolescent life and remember the old Howard Johnson Sign at the Garden State Parkway Exit 135 to entice traveling motorists to exit and stay there. Then comes along Ramada Inn who puts up a six story building on the other side of the Parkway. Apparently it stirred up controversy when Ramada was denied permission to erect a high mast sign because of an ordinance that Clark Township passed that placed height limits on signs.
The Ho Jo was grandfathered in, as there was no such law on the books when it went up. However when Hurricane Belle came through mid 1970's era, it destroyed part of the original sign, and was allowed to put up another one in its place. Then recently Ho Jo became a memory where it was demolished so that a Shop Rite could be built along with other stores on the former hotel lot. Shop Rite was allowed to put up their sign, as the grandfather law allowed the successor of the sign's ownership to retain it.
This might be why billboards were in certain places in New Jersey. As far as billboards and other signs on the ACX, it might have to do with the fact casinos bring revenue into the state and create jobs. The State (if the sign laws are such and not municipal or county) would be cutting its throat if if it did that sort of like the US Government trying to make tobacco sales illegal completely when they rack up so many millions on people buying cigarettes.
Quote from: NE2 on December 12, 2013, 08:56:42 PM
They probably write it off as a tax break. Like the 'heart starts beating after n days therefore life begins at conception' logic failures on Florida's Turnpike.
I've been on the Turnpike so many times I started to think that
this guy (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/conceda01.shtml) was responsible for the overpopulation problem.
Quote from: formulanone on December 12, 2013, 09:56:00 PM
Quote from: NE2 on December 12, 2013, 08:56:42 PM
They probably write it off as a tax break. Like the 'heart starts beating after n days therefore life begins at conception' logic failures on Florida's Turnpike.
I've been on the Turnpike so many times I started to think that this guy (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/conceda01.shtml) was responsible for the overpopulation problem.
Thankfully we have the vasweb guy advertising his wares too.
Conn, MA, and RI do have some of these high mast billboards, but they are generally rare. hey have been banned in Vermont for decades.
These billboards are so tall on 295 approaching/leaving the 42/76 interchange (to the south) that they've had a tough time selling advertising on them. There's been an occasional sign on them for a few months at a time, but I've never see all 4 boards that face 295 have advertising on them at the same time. There's also one board that faces swampland...I think it was intended to be seen by traffic on the yet-to-be-built 295/42 missing moves ramps.
As far as other signage (restaurants, gas stations), there are some high masts on 295 at Interchange 18 & Interchange 2 (and the tree growth there has obscured some of the signage). There's also some around Interchange 3 & 5 of the NJ Turnpike. While NJ is heavily home rule and each town makes their own decisions regarding highway signage, you are mostly correct in that very few towns appear to allow it, or grant variances for it.
Of course, it could be the building owners themselves that decide not to go with high mast signage...but without looking at the various agendas and minutes of each township to see if the signage has been requested and subsequently denied, it would be hard to say how towns truly think of high mast signage.
Quote from: Beeper1 on December 12, 2013, 11:26:12 PM
Conn, MA, and RI do have some of these high mast billboards, but they are generally rare. hey have been banned in Vermont for decades.
Massachusetts actually has a fair number of these along state highways, and the numbers are increasing (the state sees the annual fee as a source of revenue). As an example, there's a large billboard every 500 feet (minimum distance per MassDOT and Federal standards) along Interstate 93 between Roosevelt Circle and the Zakim Bridge.
Quote from: NE2 on December 12, 2013, 10:15:46 PM
Quote from: formulanone on December 12, 2013, 09:56:00 PM
Quote from: NE2 on December 12, 2013, 08:56:42 PM
They probably write it off as a tax break. Like the 'heart starts beating after n days therefore life begins at conception' logic failures on Florida's Turnpike.
I've been on the Turnpike so many times I started to think that this guy (http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/conceda01.shtml) was responsible for the overpopulation problem.
Thankfully we have the vasweb guy advertising his wares too.
My favorite one here is encourages travelers to "Come find Jesus in the Quoran". Quite a difference from the "If we had kicked out all the Muslims, 9/11 would never have happened" billboard I saw in Georgia on I75 last year.
Quote from: realjd on December 16, 2013, 10:38:25 AMMy favorite one here is encourages travelers to "Come find Jesus in the Quoran".
And it spells Qu'ran / Koran like that? Odd.
Plus, given the (very deliberately) totally different character and actions of Isa in the Koran, when compared to Jesus in Bible/American Culture: unless the interpretation of the Koran that they are using has the English version of the names, most people reading that billboard who then go and read the Koran will struggle to find Jesus as they will have some trouble working out which one is meant to be him. Especially a problem if they are looking for a 1st Century Jew who lived in the Roman province of Judea as there isn't one of them in the Koran!
Quote from: Steve on December 12, 2013, 07:21:24 PM
I know that Florida's Turnpike encourages them. Also, try traveling the Atlantic City Expressway and tell me about NJ.
Someone told me that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is legally permitted to charge anyone or any business that erects a billboard visible from Turnpike right-of-way some sort of tax or fee.
I have not independently verified that.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on December 16, 2013, 01:16:28 PM
Someone told me that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is legally permitted to charge anyone or any business that erects a billboard visible from Turnpike right-of-way some sort of tax or fee.
I have not independently verified that.
Well, when you put up an advertisement that a lot of people will see (given the daily volume of the Turnpike), you should expect that it won't come cheap. I assume it's the same way for the Garden State Parkway. (also owned by the NJTA)
Quote from: Zeffy on December 16, 2013, 01:31:05 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on December 16, 2013, 01:16:28 PM
Someone told me that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is legally permitted to charge anyone or any business that erects a billboard visible from Turnpike right-of-way some sort of tax or fee.
I have not independently verified that.
Well, when you put up an advertisement that a lot of people will see (given the daily volume of the Turnpike), you should expect that it won't come cheap. I assume it's the same way for the Garden State Parkway. (also owned by the NJTA)
Most states (like Massachusetts) have similar fees. As I understand it, the only exception to the fee is when the advertising sign is advertising the product or service available on the premises the sign is located at.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on December 16, 2013, 01:16:28 PM
Quote from: Steve on December 12, 2013, 07:21:24 PM
I know that Florida's Turnpike encourages them. Also, try traveling the Atlantic City Expressway and tell me about NJ.
Someone told me that the New Jersey Turnpike Authority is legally permitted to charge anyone or any business that erects a billboard visible from Turnpike right-of-way some sort of tax or fee.
I have not independently verified that.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/NJ_Turnpike_billboard_revenue_to_double_under_new_contract.html
This story talks about fees Clear Channel provides the NJ Turnpike for their billboards; however, the billboards are on Turnpike property. The Turnpike will get $1.2 Million per year under the billboard contract. The advertising company will probably get close to $2 Million a year.
I was noticing that billboards along I-95 in VA between Washington and Richmond are placed a considerable distance away from the freeway. I am to assume that Virginia has some sort of rule on that one however, at Fredericksburg I have seen the tallest McDonalds sign ever at the interchange for US 1 near Spotsylvania.
I'm not sure where high mast signs are banned, but one place where that's not the case is Ohio. They're all over the place. There are even some places where you can spot the tall signs for more than one exit at once. Some signs just use their own trademark/logo, while others use separate illuminated letters; Texaco and Shell used to do that a lot.
It was sometime in the '70s where I first saw a light-bulb matrix ("egg crate"?) on a tall mast to display the price of gas, when it was only 2 digits. Also, the taller McDonald's signs used to read "Billions and Billions Served" when the regular signs were still keeping count -- a wise move to avoid climbing 100 feet or so just to change the numbers!
One tall sign for Bob Evans had the had a second sign reading FOOD underneath it on the pole. I suspect that was done for out-of-town motorists who didn't know what Bob Evans was.
Near the NYS Thruway at the Coxsackie exit, there is a Sunoco sign that seemed really tall to me as a child, but it's actually on a mountain.
They are banned here in Flower Mound/ Lewisville, Tx.
Here, and in most of Florida, businesses can have only ground level signage.
In Washington they aren't banned state-wide, however some counties, especially the more rural, without Freeways, do have bans. For example, Island County bans them, but then again, they only have a 2-lane state route to deal with. Heck, they didn't allow back-lit signs for years, even though most gas stations had them. The issue came to a head when Dairy Queen went into a non-incoporated area, and they brought up the hypocrisy of not allowing them to have back-lit signs, but not forcing the gas stations to remove their back-lit signs.
I remember a long time ago, US 101 through Agoura Hills (between Woodland Hills and Thousand Oaks) used to have high-mast signs for gas stations and restaurants. I think most of them are gone now, if I recall correctly.
Quote from: Brian556 on January 05, 2014, 11:59:56 PM
Here, and in most of Florida, businesses can have only ground level signage.
Places in Florida mandating ground level signage are the exception. Most of Florida allows elevated signage.
Quote from: realjd on January 06, 2014, 04:17:30 PM
Quote from: Brian556 on January 05, 2014, 11:59:56 PM
Here, and in most of Florida, businesses can have only ground level signage.
Places in Florida mandating ground level signage are the exception. Most of Florida allows elevated signage.
Bedroom communities and suburbia typically hate them; for example, most of South Florida, although I'm sure hurricane codes also play a part the banishment of 20-foot-high eyesores. Some towns or neighborhoods go as far to permit a single color in a logo, with signage under 6 feet tall.
The one-stoplight town or unincorporated area are usually okay with them. I will say they're helpful when you're strapped for fuel off a lonely interstate.