A bill by Senator Steve Knight, R-Antelope Valley, that will bring innovation to the Antelope Valley’s busing system has become law.

Senate Bill 1134 will allow the Antelope Valley Transit Authority to affix digital advertising signs to the sides of buses. In the past two years, the legislature has authorized both Santa Monica and UC Irvine to implement similar programs, but neither has done so. SB 1134 states that if no action is taken by either of these entities by March of 2015, AVTA will be allowed to use this technology on their buses, which will allow the state to study the effectiveness of such a program.

Sen. Steve Knight

“The Antelope Valley is a prime location for a pilot program of this nature,” said Senator Knight. “With the absence of a traffic crisis, as witnessed in other more congested areas of the state, the AV has the ability to provide the legislature and CHP with a comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of digital advertising on buses.”

Currently, many transportation systems employ standard paper advertising on the sides of city buses. Through the installation of a digital system, advertisers are afforded a new way to reach customers, which can be updated quickly and easily. Advertising would be capable of being transmitted wirelessly, eliminating paper waste, labor costs and keeping up with advanced technology.

“We are thankful to Senator Steve Knight for working with us on SB 1134,” stated AVTA’s Executive Director, Julie Austin. “As this process moves forward, we are confident that the Antelope Valley is an ideal location for this pilot program and believe that it will provide benefits to our customers as well as more affordable advertising opportunities for our business community.”

SB 1134 was signed into law by the Governor on July 8. It goes into effect on January 1, 2015, and would move forward pending Santa Monica and UC Irvine not participating in the pilot program.