LA City Council Approves Ban On Mobile Billboards

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a ban on all mobile billboards Wednesday, including those on trailers or attached to cars, mopeds or bikes.

The 14-0 vote approved an ordinance that, if signed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, would give traffic officers the authority to issue warning citations and ultimately impound vehicles with billboards.

The law requires the city to issue a warning at least 24 hours before impounding a vehicle.

A mobile billboard is defined as "an advertising display that is attached to a mobile, non-motorized vehicle, device, or bicycle that carries, pulls, or transports a sign or billboard, and is for the primary purpose of advertising."

A second citation and impoundment would be handled as a misdemeanor, with a minimum fine of $250 and a maximum six month jail sentence.

Councilman Mitch Englander, who introduced the motion calling for the ordinance, said the billboards "pose significant traffic safety hazards for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and handicap people."

He said the billboards also reduce the availability of on-street parking and impair the visibility of drivers.

Englander called the ordinance, "sensible, narrowly-tailored legislation."

However, Bruce Boyer, who owns Lone Star Security & Video Inc. in the San Fernando Valley, told the council the ordinance is a violation of the First Amendment.

Assemblyman Bob Blumenfeld authored state legislation that gave cities the authority to regulate mobile billboards, which he compared to spam advertising on the Internet.

"This new (state) law give you quite a lot of authority to deal with these things," Blumenfeld told the council.

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