1 00:00:00,747 --> 00:00:03,414 (logo whooshes) 2 00:00:09,180 --> 00:00:11,930 - [Narrator] In Texas, the complicated task of regulating 3 00:00:11,930 --> 00:00:15,100 offsite billboards on commercially zoned property 4 00:00:15,100 --> 00:00:17,160 along our highways originates 5 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:22,160 from the Lady Bird Johnson 1965 Highway Beautification Act. 6 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:24,230 Because of a Supreme Court ruling 7 00:00:24,230 --> 00:00:27,170 in 2015 regarding billboards, 8 00:00:27,170 --> 00:00:29,630 TxDOT wanted to have a better understanding 9 00:00:29,630 --> 00:00:32,420 of billboard regulation practices. 10 00:00:32,420 --> 00:00:34,040 This broad-ranging project, 11 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:36,660 conducted by the Center for Transportation Research 12 00:00:36,660 --> 00:00:38,520 at the University of Texas, 13 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:40,520 will have states from across the country 14 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:42,840 interested in the findings. 15 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:44,400 - So when we worked with CTR, 16 00:00:44,400 --> 00:00:46,240 the direction for them was to research 17 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:47,880 what other state laws and rules are 18 00:00:47,880 --> 00:00:49,630 but also do case studies 19 00:00:49,630 --> 00:00:52,070 to find out what litigation's been successful 20 00:00:52,070 --> 00:00:54,990 on specific topics that are a problem for the state. 21 00:00:54,990 --> 00:00:57,010 There's certain areas in our regulations 22 00:00:57,010 --> 00:00:58,490 that are probably weak, 23 00:00:58,490 --> 00:01:01,680 and we needed to have better language to do our job. 24 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,120 And so their task was to go find out 25 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,810 what language in other states has been successful 26 00:01:06,810 --> 00:01:08,570 when they're litigating for enforcement. 27 00:01:08,570 --> 00:01:11,313 - Regulating billboards is very complicated. 28 00:01:12,170 --> 00:01:14,330 The laws are complicated. 29 00:01:14,330 --> 00:01:17,210 And Wendy, who has built this program, 30 00:01:17,210 --> 00:01:19,420 wants to have the best program in the country. 31 00:01:19,420 --> 00:01:21,260 She in fact has a national reputation. 32 00:01:21,260 --> 00:01:23,500 She won't tell you that, but she does. 33 00:01:23,500 --> 00:01:27,160 And part of this is to generate best practices for Texas. 34 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,780 - Given the scarcity of resources 35 00:01:29,780 --> 00:01:33,100 and the scarcity of funding and the enormity of the job 36 00:01:33,100 --> 00:01:35,040 and the penalty of losing 10% 37 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:36,430 of your federal highway funding, 38 00:01:36,430 --> 00:01:40,940 which is about $361 million for Texas, 39 00:01:40,940 --> 00:01:42,280 the stakes are huge. 40 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:45,010 And you need to know if you're violating the federal law 41 00:01:45,010 --> 00:01:50,010 and if your state law is valid under the US Constitution. 42 00:01:50,050 --> 00:01:52,080 - The goal was to see really, 43 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,680 had the changes that occurred in Texas in their statutes, 44 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:57,360 were they still fulfilling 45 00:01:58,281 --> 00:02:00,100 the spirit in the letter of the federal law? 46 00:02:00,100 --> 00:02:02,120 Was that gonna pass constitutional muster 47 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:03,803 on a whole range of areas? 48 00:02:03,803 --> 00:02:04,940 - Because we have a new way 49 00:02:04,940 --> 00:02:07,630 of thinking about and regulating signs, 50 00:02:07,630 --> 00:02:09,750 we had to both implement the new way 51 00:02:09,750 --> 00:02:11,320 and do it in a way that was consistent 52 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:12,860 with the old way we did it 53 00:02:12,860 --> 00:02:14,760 so that we weren't changing everything. 54 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,780 And that then put every turn we'd used in a new light 55 00:02:17,780 --> 00:02:20,520 because we had a new system undergirding it. 56 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,300 And so we needed to know different ways of doing it 57 00:02:23,300 --> 00:02:25,840 because we were redefining things as we went along. 58 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:27,270 - There is probably some work that needs to be done 59 00:02:27,270 --> 00:02:28,170 at the federal level, 60 00:02:28,170 --> 00:02:29,350 and then there is still work to be done 61 00:02:29,350 --> 00:02:30,200 in the different states. 62 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:31,550 And if we can learn from one another, 63 00:02:31,550 --> 00:02:32,750 we can maybe make things better 64 00:02:32,750 --> 00:02:34,710 and also put certainty into the system. 65 00:02:34,710 --> 00:02:37,080 - I think other states are going to look at our work 66 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:40,890 and see the magnitude of some of the issues 67 00:02:40,890 --> 00:02:42,850 that they're dealing with. 68 00:02:42,850 --> 00:02:46,040 And also, we try to look at best practices. 69 00:02:46,040 --> 00:02:49,640 So we found some creative problem-solving in other states 70 00:02:49,640 --> 00:02:52,960 for how to reduce the proliferation of billboards 71 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:54,440 and how to regulate them. 72 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:56,070 - This is the first time a project like this 73 00:02:56,070 --> 00:03:00,170 has ever been done in the US in this program since 1965. 74 00:03:00,170 --> 00:03:02,930 So the information they provided us is very valuable 75 00:03:02,930 --> 00:03:06,480 to our state and, I imagine, to other states as well. 76 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:08,270 Texas, I guess because we're so large, 77 00:03:08,270 --> 00:03:11,610 has a tendency to run into problems with the billboards 78 00:03:11,610 --> 00:03:12,920 before other states do. 79 00:03:12,920 --> 00:03:14,740 So when we find a solution that works, 80 00:03:14,740 --> 00:03:16,830 other states will end up copying what we do. 81 00:03:16,830 --> 00:03:18,930 So this has moved our program, probably, 82 00:03:18,930 --> 00:03:21,690 and our other programs nationally 83 00:03:21,690 --> 00:03:23,360 to the best position they could ever be in 84 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,760 in 40-plus years. 85 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:26,860 - [Narrator] For more information 86 00:03:26,860 --> 00:03:29,430 and to find the publications for this project, 87 00:03:29,430 --> 00:03:32,310 please visit the TxDOT Research Library 88 00:03:32,310 --> 00:03:33,813 at the link shown below.