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Federal government demands NY strip Times Square of billboards

We’re here to help you: Federal officials have ordered New York to remove the billboards that make Times Square famous or else the state will lose $90 million in federal highway funds.

The edict comes from a 2012 law that makes Times Square an arterial route to the national highway system. And that puts it under the 1965 Highway Beautification Act, which limits signs to 1,200 square feet. It took the feds until now to realize that Times Square was included.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
 

"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

6 comments

  • geoffc

    Hahaha! Serves NY right!

  • D. K. Williams

    Absurd application of the law.

  • PeterF

    I would expect the people pushing this to have grey pony tails and Birkenstocks. And Hemp dresses. Doing their best to combat global warming by eliminating a huge carbon footprint. Businesses along “the Great White Way” are required by law to have lighted business signs. What a disgusting display of wealth and excess! They would have the whole world looking like PyongYang.

    “It took the feds until now to realize that Times Square was included.”

    I’m a bit confused as to why its part of the National highway system. The closest interstate is 495 and that runs several blocks to the west. Perhaps a historic state road once ran through the area. A competent Mayor could make it all go away by changing the streets any highway route follows. Just move the signs

  • geoffc

    I think they are referring to Broadway.

    Not part of the Interstate system, but one of the only streets that completely traverses the island (north, crosses a bridge from the Bronx) to the bottom of the island.

  • Cotour

    I wonder how much money rounded to billions New York City alone contributes to the Federal government? So now they are going to tell the city what and where they can put things on thee major focal point and tourist attraction and icon of capitalism in what can arguably be the center of the capitalist universe?

    This is a BS, red herring story IMO. An example of the slippery slope? Too many people with too much time with too little to do to justify their existence? Wait, isn’t that the definition of the majority of our government?

  • Pzatchok

    Think of it as highway gerrymandering.

    Someone worked to include it into the federal highway system so the state wouldn’t have to pay for repairs.

    I bet they also included the most expensive to repair bridges into it also.

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