THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 15, 1994 TAG: 9409150424
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines
Get ready to ride an ad.
With nary a whimper of protest, the Tidewater Transportation District Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved a plan to turn 20 percent of Tidewater Regional Transit's bus fleet into four-wheeled, stop-and-go advertisements.
From 20 to 25 buses are expected to be converted into huge rolling billboards, a current craze in public transportation advertising.
In Louisville, Ky., buses are decorated to represent everything from grocery stores to racing cars. In Columbus, Ohio, one bus will soon be decorated with a huge resting leopard to advertise the Columbus Zoo.
The move could be a boon for TRT and represents the first time the agency has sought a hefty sum of money without asking local cities or the state for aid.
TRT is expecting to receive $1 million over five years for the right to advertise on the staid blue, white and orange vehicles. And with TRT's local funding expected to decrease by a little over 1 percent in fiscal year 1995, the new revenue should come in handy.
Money from the advertising will be used to offset local funds needed for TRT's capital improvement program.
PENTRAN, the Peninsula's public transportation agency, has been using illustrated buses since 1984. This program has allowed PENTRAN to avoid groveling before Hampton and Newport News city officials for additional cash. In July, the TRT board delayed a vote after some commissioners worried the buses would violate their city's billboard ordinance. But after investigating, it was found that local sign ordinances apply only to stationary signs. As long as the buses remain rolling, and as long as they are not hawking tobacco products or politicians, everything is legal.
With the vote, the commission decided to let P&C Media of Lancaster, Pa., be the exclusive contractor for the advertisements. James C. Echols, TRT's executive director, said using the advertising firm and its nationwide contacts will produce more revenue for TRT than having a TRT staff take on the task. ILLUSTRATION: Color staff photo by Lawrence Jackson
An eye-care advertisement adorns a bus run by PENTRAN, the public
transportation agency on the Peninsula.
KEYWORDS: ADVERTISING BUS by CNB