The City of New Westminster will soon be home to four new digital signs in high traffic areas.
A press release from the city states that New Westminster is proceeding with a "digital media program" that will see the installation of four digital signs located on the city's perimeter land and right-of-way sites. The signs, which are expected to be in place in November 2012, will be located at Highway 91A at the Queens borough Bridge, Highway 91 at the approach to the Alex Fraser Bridge, on Brunette Avenue at the Highway 1 East on-ramp and on McBride Boulevard at the south end of the Pattullo Bridge.
"The new digital signs will generate approximately $2 million in revenue for the city each year, as well as offer significant promotion opportunity for programs and services offered in New Westminster," Mayor Wayne Wright said in a press release. "It's a great way to market events and initiatives while earning additional funds that we can reinvest in our community."
The City of New Westminster has signed a 20-year agreement with All Vision Canada, which will pay all costs associated with building, maintaining and marketing the digital signs and will manage and maintain the digital sign program.
According to the city's press release, the outdoor digital media program will provide New Westminster with addition-al benefits to its existing outdoor media signs and similar to those being enjoyed by other communities utilizing digital media signs including Abbotsford and Surrey.
As part of an Ipsos Reid survey done in 2010, 300 were asked about their support for commercial advertising billboards, as the city had been examining opportunities for creating new revenue streams to help pay for municipal services. Sixty-two per cent support billboard advertising, while 36 per cent oppose, and two per cent don't know.
The City of New Westminster is holding a public information meeting at city hall on Tuesday, June 26 at 6 p.m. to get to feedback on the project and to get suggestions on how the revenue generated from the signs should be allocated.
"Our goal was to optimize the high-traffic perimeter lands owned by the city, enhance communications opportunities and find new and sustainable revenue sources for New Westminster," Wright said. "The digital media program will do just that."
Previously, the city allowed Mediacom (a division of the Viacom outdoor advertising company) the right to build the overpass across McBride Boulevard near the Canada Games Pool site, in exchange for advertising rights for billboards that were built into the structure.
