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Metro To Offer Rail Line, Station Naming Rights To Corporations, Colleges

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Metro riders, if you're having trouble remembering the name of which bus or train to take, Corporate America could soon help make your commute a little smoother.

Officials with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority governing board last week approved the Corporate Sponsorship/Naming Rights Program, a new advertising policy that could yield millions of dollars in revenue, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

Under the policy, Metro would allow corporations, colleges, and medical centers to brand a particular rail or bus line, station or Metro building with the institution's name and logo.

The sponsorship rights are considered "a type of advertising" for corporations and other groups that "secures the right to name or re-name a Metro facility, service, program, or event for a defined period of time", according to a Metro memo (PDF) from October.

That memo cited similar corporate sponsorship programs in San Diego - where the UC San Diego Blue Line deal netted a value of about $30 million  - as well as Chicago, Cleveland, and Denver.

Metro executives say the move will not only make routes and destinations easier for riders to recognize and remember, but also will help riders distinguish landmarks and entry points to various communities across Metro's transit system.

But any renaming proposals would be required to "uphold the location and historic reference name of the property" to ensure that it remains easily identifiable and recognizable by the general public.

Some business sectors - including adult entertainment, tobacco, firearms, and political and religious group - will not be considered for participation, according to Metro.

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