Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board. Letters to the Editor reflect the view of a member of the campus community and are submitted to the publication for approval. 

Every morning and evening on my walk to and from campus, I pass the intersection of West Elizabeth Street and South Shields Street. Here I am bombarded with a series of advertisements on a new electric billboard. I’m sure you’ve noticed this monstrosity as well, especially since it did not exist three months ago and seemed to spring up overnight.

Compared to the rest of Fort Collins, the billboard seems out of place, and it is. In fact, it’s only one of just a few billboards located throughout the entire city. According to CBS News, Colorado State University plans to build 11 more on university land at no cost to the school.

After the proposal was released, Street Media Group, a Loveland-based advertising company, approached CSU about purchasing and installing the billboards. CSU agreed, despite the Fort Collins ordinance that prohibits billboards, and argued that since the university is a state entity, it does not have to adhere to the jurisdiction of Fort Collins and can install the billboards legally under state law.

Despite protests from the local community, the first of the 12 billboards was built at the end of this past summer. Plans for the remaining eleven are underway. The university now claims the billboards will be used as an emergency broadcast system, but the first billboard has yet to be used as such. It consistently runs advertisements from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

These billboards must be adamantly protested by the student body. Earlier this semester, CSU was declared the second-most sustainable school in the United States, but billboards are fundamentally environmentally unsustainable. They create light pollution and consume an exorbitant amount of electricity that, depending on their size, can reach several times the amount of an average American household. It’s also important to consider the carbon emissions that come from the manufacturing and transportation of billboard materials.

Billboards are also illegal according to long-standing city ordinances. These were put in place as a way of preserving aesthetic standards and reducing light pollution for Fort Collins residents; going against them lowers the standard of living. CSU is clearly exploiting a loophole, and why would it want to when those ordinances uphold the quality of living of Fort Collins?

“For a school that prides itself on its sustainability, these billboards are the least sustainable choice.”

Humans are additionally harmed by billboards because they are designed to be distracting. According to the nonprofit Scenic America, research shows that “crash rates near digital billboards can be 25 to 29 percent higher than at control sites.” This is especially concerning when you consider how many students bike or walk to school surrounded by car traffic.

The purpose of a billboard is to generate revenue, but it’s not clear how much of the money will be going back to CSU and how much will be pocketed by the for-profit advertising company. The CSU administration has also not shared why this revenue is necessary and where it will be going.

There is no reason why we need 11 more billboards. For a school that prides itself on its sustainability, these billboards are the least sustainable choice. As students, we need to speak up about this issue to ensure the beauty and safety of Colorado State University’s campus for years to come.

Ariel Sutherland, Colorado State University student