"Ire rises over Mass. plan for electronic billboards" by Martine Powers | Globe Staff, June 05, 2013
A proposal to introduce a slew of electronic billboards around the state has stalled following stiff opposition from former governor Michael S. Dukakis and Mayors Thomas M. Menino of Boston and Joseph Curtatone of Somerville, who say they will ramp up their efforts to keep local billboards from going digital.
Locations for seven of 18 proposed electronic billboards were slated to come up for approval at a May 9 meeting of the Department of Transportation’s Office of Outdoor Advertising, but Richard A. Davey, the state’s transportation secretary, pulled the item from the agenda before the meeting. All seven billboards were to be in Boston.
Dukakis and the mayors are angry that municipal leaders have not been consulted about the siting of the bright digital signs sought by Clear Channel Communications, and because communities would not have any say in their placement.
The vote was postponed because local leaders had conveyed their ire to officials, according to Dukakis. Davey said he delayed the vote because he had his own questions about the deal....
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