Fairfax County Seeks Public Input about Bus Shelter Advertising

The Fairfax County Department of Transportation plans to offer advertising space in certain County bus shelters, and wishes to receive public comments about this plan.  FCDOT expects the advertising in these bus shelters to generate revenue for transportation.  In addition to generating revenue, the advertising vendor will be required to build new bus shelters, which will benefit bus passengers by providing cover from the elements.

Initially, 108 bus stop locations are targeted for this program. (The list of locations for the 108 stops can be found online at Fairfax County’s website, or by calling the number listed below.) Advertisements will be governed by a similar County policy that regulates advertising on Fairfax Connector buses.  The ads will be limited to one panel of the bus shelter, and will meet all County and VDOT safety requirements.

A public meeting was held on April 19, 2008 to receive comment on the program and the initial 108 sites.  The Fairfax County Department of Transportation is identifying another 50 – 100 sites that will be included in the RFP with the initial 108 sites.  The next group of sites will be subject to the same public outreach as the first 108 and a public meeting will be held to receive comment on the new sites.

For information about this program, please call Paul Mounier of FCDOT at 703-324-1470, TTY 703-324-1102. Or, if you would like to submit comments via email about the program click here.

Written comments also are welcome and may be addressed to:

Bus Shelter Advertising
Fairfax County DOT
12055 Government Center Parkway, Suite 1034
Fairfax, VA  22035

FAQ Bus Shelter Advertising (revision 1.1 - 05/12/2008)

Please explain the bus shelter advertising program.
After procurement of a vendor through the competitive bidding process, the County will direct the vendor to construct, maintain, clean and repair bus shelters and sell advertising on the shelters to subsidize the shelter program. A percentage of excess advertising revenue will be shared with the County.

How much revenue will be generated?
There are a number of variables that make it difficult to determine the exact amount of revenue the county will receive. Revenue is dependant on the number of shelters installed, capital and operating costs for shelters, advertising rates and advertising saturation. Montgomery County, a county with similar land use and demographics to Fairfax County, currently has a bus stop advertising program that generates $500,000-$600,000 annually.

How will the new bus shelters benefit my neighborhood?
The new bus shelters will provide cover from the elements and a solid foundation that makes it easier for bus passengers to stand or sit and wait for the bus. The shelter will be maintained, cleaned and repaired by the contractor at no cost to the County. A phone number will be posted on the shelter which can be used to contact the contractor.

How can I be sure that inappropriate advertising won’t be posted on the shelters?
The board has adopted bus shelter adverting guidelines which defines standards for advertising. A copy of the advertising guidelines can be found here, Bus Shelter Advertising Guidelines

I am concerned that advertising does not fit into the aesthetics of my neighborhood. How can I request that advertising shelters not be installed near my home?
No shelter will receive advertising until a rigorous public outreach process has been completed. The process is as follows:

• FCDOT drafts a list of sites for consideration (108 sites)
• The public is notified of the sites under consideration
  • List of sites posted on the web at proposed bus shelter locations. A notice is posted at individual bus stops indicating it is under consideration for bus shelter advertising.
  • Direct mailing to address within ¼ mile of the stop (25,000 mailers for the initial list).
• Compilation and review of public comment received
  • Public meeting held
  • Phone calls received
  • Emails received
  • Letters received
• Public comments are analyzed by FCDOT and the list of proposed stops is vetted considering public comments. Stop specific comments listed below:
  • Comment on stop - STOPID 01779 Silverbrook Road @ Royal Robin Lane; the comment is to remove the stop from the list.
  • Comment on stops - STOPID 03366 and 03363 Morning View Lane @ John Thomas Drive and Thomas Grant Drive; the comment is to remove the stops from the list.
• Based on a review of public comments, a final draft list of sites is compiled and sorted by magisterial district.
• The staff recommendations are then shared with the district Board member and the Board member has the right to deselect any proposed shelter location.