June – October 2000
The Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Real Estate Services sponsored a survey coordinated by the National Alliance of Highway Beautification Agencies and conducted by Jack Faucett Associates, Inc. (JFA) of Bethesda, Maryland. The national survey was sent to 47 states and the District of Columbia to determine the types of outdoor advertising data collected, the collection method, and how that data is maintained and used. 39 survey responses were collected between June and October 2000 through JFA’s web site. Some of the results of the survey are summarized below.
- 27 states (69%) reported that they permit signs by location rather than by sign face.
- 30 states (77%) reported that they conduct regularly scheduled sign inventories.
Nearly half the 30 states (14) that conduct scheduled inventories, complete the work annually. 8 states are on a 2-year schedule, 4 are done twice each year, and 4 conduct the survey quarterly. - Only 14 states (36%) reported that their state laws are more restrictive than their federal/state agreement.
- 29 states (74%) reported that they could create an inventory of all signs.
- 31 states (79%) reported that they could create an inventory of all non-conforming signs.
- 19 states (49%) reported that they could create an inventory of all illegal signs.
- 27 states (69%) reported that their inventory system does not identify non-conforming signs that were part of a right-of-way acquisition.
- 30 states (77%) reported that their inventory system does not identify why a particular sign is non-conforming.
- Nearly all states (37) reported that their inventory system tracks illegal signs throughout the legal process.
- 20 states (51%) reported that they did not spend federal dollars to acquire signs.
For a complete copy of the study go to:
FHWA Outdoor Advertising Survey Results