New billboards along I-93 north of the Zakim Bridge

[Pete from Boston]

In the past week or two, it looks like 6 or 8 new very tall billboards
have gone up along 93 in Boston and Somerville (maybe all in Boston,
I'm nor eally sure where the lines are).

Who's cashing in here? Whose land are these on? City? MassHighway?
MBTA? Other? I'm curious who's suddenly selling my eyesight.

[John F. Carr]

Post by Pete from Boston
In the past week or two, it looks like 6 or 8 new very tall billboards
have gone up along 93 in Boston and Somerville (maybe all in Boston,
I'm nor eally sure where the lines are).
Who's cashing in here? Whose land are these on? City? MassHighway?
MBTA? Other? I'm curious who's suddenly selling my eyesight.

The MBTA rented space to Clear Channel.

<http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/2009_03_03_MBTA:_Billboards_a_good_sign:_Transit_system_hopes__10M_take_on_new_space_eases_deficit/srvc=home&position=also>

[Elmer]

Post by Pete from Boston
In the past week or two, it looks like 6 or 8 new very tall billboards
have gone up along 93 in Boston and Somerville (maybe all in Boston,
I'm nor eally sure where the lines are).
Who's cashing in here?  Whose land are these on?  City?  MassHighway?
MBTA?  Other?  I'm curious who's suddenly selling my eyesight.

The new billboard support towers are very tall and substantial, not
unlike the type that hold wind turbines. What a shame that they will
be used for energy consuming, sight polluting signs. It's particularly
disturbing that one of the best panoramic views of the city will be
marred by ugly advertising. Mr. Grabauskas' comment that because the
signs will be made of vinyl they won't become eyesores is ridiculous;
by their very nature, billboards are eyesores to begin with! With such
a blatant disregard of aesthetics and style, sometimes I have a hard
time believing that man is really Gay. (Incredibly, he claims to be a
Republican too, so go figure!)

Elmer

[David Chesler]

Post by Elmer
The new billboard support towers are very tall and substantial, not
unlike the type that hold wind turbines. What a shame that they will
be used for energy consuming, sight polluting signs.

Unlike the new turbine on the other side of the highway, they'll be
money-makers.

Post by Elmer
It's particularly
disturbing that one of the best panoramic views of the city will be
marred by ugly advertising.

I was wondering about that - didn't Ladybird Johnson fix this some
forty years ago?

But it may be part of Mr. Grabauskas' evil plan -- the less pleasant
it is to drive, the more likely people are to take his T.

(Personally I don't mind. It's a man-made landscape whether it's
buildings or billboards. They don't block that much view (the bigger
view-blocker remains the upper deck -- I'd hoped, way back when, that
the new river crossing would eliminate that feature, but apparently the
footprint through Somerville and the structure were fixed, and the urban
beautification called the Big Dig only extended to the Boston city
limits. I don't mind billboards, they give me something to read besides
my cell phone texts when I'm driving :-) And seriously, when I'm tired
I take the Connecticut Turnpike instead of the Merritt/Wilbur Cross, or
I-684, because the urban landscape is more stimulating and it keeps me
more alert. And it's got more streetlights.)