RE: ‘Bye-Bye Billboards’ Article

This letter is in response to the article printed in the March 22 Forum “Bye-Bye Billboards”. The article stated that MAC is supporting a county plan to replace billboards in our hometown with digital billboards. Really? I’m sure anyone who travels down the boulevard hardly notices the old billboards, but you can bet you’ll notice them if they’re replaced with digital ones. The billboard located at the 580 Marketplace is a distraction when traveling east on 580. And who can read 7 advertisements in 8 seconds to benefit anyone? I consider it distracted driving with all the bright colors and flashing lights. And if it’s true that Castro Valley has received $340,873 from the ads, where did that money go? Shouldn’t someone be reporting where that money was spent? With all the distractions we currently have in our lives, digital billboards shouldn’t be added to the list. It’s hard enough to keep your eyes on the roads avoiding all the potholes. Let Councilmen Carbone and Moore come up with a better solution with welcoming visitors to our town.

–Sandra Rauch, Castro Valley