Earlier this year, a loose collective of public space advocates launched
Scenic Toronto, an advocacy group dedicated to combating what they saw as a strong digital billboard lobby at City Hall (see
Yonge Street story on Scenic Toronto
here).
Scenic Toronto formed in response to a then-recent staff report that seemed to condone the placement of digital billboards in commercial and employment areas (a reversal of earlier City policy that limited their placement to Dundas Square and the Gardiner Expressway).
Recent developments, however, have shifted Scenic Toronto's ire away from the staff reports and onto the councilors themselves.
Late last week, in a vote of 22 to 14, council approved a Metrolinx backed proposal to erect four new digital billboards along the 401 and 427.
The signs would be operated by Allvision Canada and would be built on Metrolinx owned land, thus generating revenue for the provincial transit agency.
City staff, however, had recommended that council refuse the request, stating in their report "that the four proposed third party ground signs are approximately four to six times larger than and twice as tall as permitted..." Council's Sign Variance Committee also recommended against the idea.
Prior to the Council vote, Scenic Toronto circulated a petition on change.org outlining their objections and urging council "to keep highway 401 free of digital commercial billboards.
"...These digital signs are designed to distract drivers, which will make our roads less safe. Also, the signs are visible from residential properties and will have a negative impact on those communities."
A motion to refer the issue back to committee lost on a tie vote (18-18) leaving the ultimate decision about the billboards with the provincial ministry of transportation.