Ariz. seeks money for right-of-way signs

In Arizona, restaurants might have to fork over some dough to the department of transportation. The same goes for hotels and gas stations.

The Arizona DOT is now seeking compensation for those blue-and-right food, gas and lodging signs located in the right-of-way. The agency’s current contract with the Logo Signs of America, which installed the 2,200 signs across the state, expires at the end of the year, and legislators have now given ADOT permission to seek advertising revenue—which could amount to $2.5 million a year.

Of course, Logo Signs of America will not be required to pay a fee. The private firm receives $120 a month for each logo on the signs, and another $18 a month for placement at the end of ramps.

Arizona lawmakers are scrambling to balance the state’s budget, and have raided the ADOT cupboard approximately $500 million. The recent borrowing convinced lawmakers that it was a good idea to at least give ADOT a chance to receiving financial compensation from Logo Signs of America.