Major Metropolitan Area Makes EMC Changes
A major metropolitan city has approved two codes related to digital signs, removing one requirement that could have negatively affected every digital sign in the city. Sign industry testimony was able to successfully persuade the Dallas City Council to remove a requirement to have existing digital signs receive a manufacturer’s certification. The certification would show that the sign had been configured to comply with the 0.3 footcandle brightness standards and that it had been locked to prevent end user manipulation. Sign industry representatives also successfully had the legislation split in two, with the second referencing off-premise billboards.
Because of testimony from Texas Sign Association board member Joel Heine of Daktronics and ISA’s Kenny Peskin, the manufacturer’s certification is now required only for newly installed signs.
In addition, the changes require all digital displays to be no brighter than 0.3 foot-candles above ambient lighting. This is in line with scientific research conducted for ISA and available through its Recommended Night-time Brightness Levels for On-Premise Electronic Message Centers publication. Digital displays will be limited to 50 square feet or 50 percent of the overall sign area, whichever is greater. Message dwell time will remain at 20 seconds in business zoning districts and 20 minutes in residential districts. The latter applies mostly to churches and schools that use digital displays.
Existing signs will need to conform to the brightness and dwell time changes within 12 months.
The code can be read here (see page 1021). To learn more about the Dallas sign codes, contact TSA’s Leona Stabler or Kenny Peskin.
