Metrolinx LED Billboard Proposal • 2012

Note: This page will be updated soon to reflect the most recent version of this LED proposal, which can be found here. The altered proposal will go to the Planning and Growth Management Committee on June 11th 2012. The proposal was formerly undertaken by CNR, but is now proposed by Metrolinx.

TPSI is advocating for road safety and against a series of proposed LED boards along major roadways in Toronto, including the Gardiner Expressway. Based on our research, TPSI believes that the proposed billboards risk traffic safety and threaten to impact communities in other negative ways for years to come.

The proposal would place 17 (counting all sides) large illuminated LED billboards across the City and remove 40 significantly smaller non-electronic billboards along CNR land. Some of the new larger LED Billboards would be placed near or in residential neighbourhoods where  research suggests they may be related to significantly reduced nearby property values. To read more about other potential impacts on residential neighbourhoods, click here.
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In addition, based on our review of the academic literature, we have reasons to believe that these LED boards are a safety hazard as they distract drivers’ attention when placed along roadways. Read more about roadside advertising and traffic safety by clicking here.
Proponents argue that the removal of 40 much smaller billboards will benefit the City’s aesthetic. However, 17 much larger illuminated LED billboards will have a greater negative aesthetic impact in our view, along with a greater likelihood of reducing nearby property values and negatively impacting traffic safety, risking lives.

To notify the Committee Councillors your thoughts and concerns contact: [email protected] 416-392-7340

Proposed locations:

Kipling Ave (near Belfield Road)
Lawrence W (near Weston Road)
York Mills (near Leslie Street) Two LED boards
Leslie St (near 401) Two LED boards
Victoria Park (near Gerrard)
Eglinton E (near Bellamy) Two LED boards
Steeles W (near Alness) Two LED boards
Gardiner Expressway (near Atlantic Avenue) Six LED boards

To date TPSI advocacy has resulted in deferral of the proposal from October 6th 2011 to June 2012 to allow for public consultation and consideration.

TPSI also notes that the advertising industry presentation at the primary public consultation meeting held Dec 14th 2011 was, in our opinion, misleading. In addition we note that presenters inappropriately utilized the University of Toronto logo to lend credibility to their arguments.

At the time, TPSI also questioned the validity of allowing a biased stakeholder (the advertising industry) to conduct the only presentation without allowing for a formal counter presentation or presentations by independent academics who study roadside advertising and its impacts.

TPSI has also been in talks with the Sign Bylaw unit over problems with outreach efforts and public notices that were relatively uninformative, failing to mention the areas impacted by these billboards or the more accurate number of 17 proposed billboards (counting both sides).