Video: City of St. Petersburg

“The spread of commercial culture into some of our most valued public spaces – from our public roadways to educational institutions and health care facilities is putting ‘in your face’ advertising in places that – unlike your television or radio – you can’t turn off.

Should we permit corporations to turn our every waking moment into one long advertisement? Scenic St. Petersburg thinks not.

In early 2017 a company approached the City for permission to install 23 new “advertising shelters” (this is PSTA’s term for these structures). This company has already installed sixty advertising shelters in other parts of the county. Currently, such roadside advertising is illegal in St. Petersburg.

In order to fund these shelters the city had proposed entering into an agreement which would allow advertising on bus shelters in the public right-of-way. Thanks to the feedback received from neighborhoods and individuals the city’s Public Safety and Infrastructure Committee decided on October 26th NOT to refer the proposal to the Legal department for development of an agreement, but instead directed the city’s Administration to find a way to fund not 23, but 36 or more bus shelters without advertising!

As importantly, these shelters will be located where the bus rider’s need is greatest, not just where the advertising space can be sold.

Kudo’s to Council member Darden Rice for finding a ‘win-win’ way to meet the needs of our community without spoiling the landscape that makes St. Petersburg so special. We also appreciate the comments of the candidates for Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg regarding selling advertising in public spaces.

In case you are wondering what these shelters would have been like, here’s some examples. Note the poor maintenance; apparently the PSTA’s existing contract with Signal Outdoor is not being enforced.”


— Scenic St. Petersburg

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