(1) The department shall establish a logo sign program for the rights-of-way of the limited access highway system to provide information to motorists about available gas, food, lodging, camping, attractions, and other services, as approved by the Federal Highway Administration, at interchanges through the use of business logos and may include additional interchanges under the program.

(a) As used in this chapter, the term “attraction” means an establishment, site, facility, or landmark that is open a minimum of 5 days a week for 52 weeks a year; that has as its principal focus family-oriented entertainment, cultural, educational, recreational, scientific, or historical activities; and that is publicly recognized as a bona fide tourist attraction.

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 479.261

  • attraction: means an establishment, site, facility, or landmark that is open a minimum of 5 days a week for 52 weeks a year; that has as its principal focus family-oriented entertainment, cultural, educational, recreational, scientific, or historical activities; and that is publicly recognized as a bona fide tourist attraction. See Florida Statutes 479.261
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Department: means the Department of Transportation. See Florida Statutes 479.01
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Erect: means to construct, build, raise, assemble, place, affix, attach, create, paint, draw, or in any other way bring into being or establish. See Florida Statutes 479.01
  • Highway: means any road, street, or other way open or intended to be opened to the public for travel by motor vehicles. See Florida Statutes 479.01
  • Interstate highway system: means the existing, unbuilt, or unopened system of highways or portions thereof designated as the national system of interstate and defense highways by the department. See Florida Statutes 479.01
  • Sign: means any combination of structure and message in the form of an outdoor sign, display, device, figure, painting, drawing, message, placard, poster, billboard, advertising structure, advertisement, logo, symbol, or other form, whether placed individually or on a V-type, back-to-back, side-to-side, stacked, or double-faced display or automatic changeable facing, designed, intended, or used to advertise or inform, any part of the advertising message or informative contents of which is visible from any place on the main-traveled way. See Florida Statutes 479.01
  • Sign structure: means all the interrelated parts and material, such as beams, poles, and stringers, which are constructed for the purpose of supporting or displaying a message or informative contents. See Florida Statutes 479.01
(b) The department shall incorporate the use of RV-friendly markers on specific information logo signs for establishments that cater to the needs of persons driving recreational vehicles. Establishments that qualify for participation in the specific information logo program and that also qualify as “RV-friendly” may request the RV-friendly marker on their specific information logo sign. An RV-friendly marker must consist of a design approved by the Federal Highway Administration. The department shall adopt rules to administer this paragraph. Such rules must establish minimum requirements for parking spaces, entrances and exits, and overhead clearance which must be met by establishments that wish to qualify as RV-friendly.
(2) The logo sign program may be implemented at qualified interchanges on the interstate highway system. All interchanges with logo signs erected on the effective date of this section are qualified and additional interchanges may be qualified pursuant to this section.
(3) Logo signs may be installed upon the issuance of an annual permit by the department or its agent and payment of a permit fee to the department or its agent.
(4) The department may contract pursuant to s. 287.057 for the provision of services related to the logo sign program, including recruitment and qualification of businesses, review of applications, permit issuance, and fabrication, installation, and maintenance of logo signs. The department may reject all proposals and seek another request for proposals or otherwise perform the work. The contract also may allow the contractor to retain a portion of the annual fees as compensation for its services.
(5) At a minimum, permit fees for businesses that participate in the program must be established in an amount sufficient to offset the total cost to the department for the program, including contract costs. The department shall provide the services in the most efficient and cost-effective manner through department staff or by contracting for some or all of the services. The department shall adopt rules that set reasonable rates based upon factors such as population, traffic volume, market demand, and costs for annual permit fees. However, annual permit fees for sign locations inside an urban area, as defined in s. 334.03(31), may not exceed $3,500, and annual permit fees for sign locations outside an urban area, as defined in s. 334.03(31), may not exceed $2,000. After recovering program costs, the proceeds from the annual permit fees shall be deposited into the State Transportation Trust Fund and used for transportation purposes.
(6) This section does not create a proprietary or compensable interest in any logo sign site or location for any permittee, and the department may terminate permits or change locations of logo sign sites as the department determines necessary for construction or improvement of transportation facilities or for improved traffic control or safety.
(7) The department may adopt rules to establish requirements for qualification and location of logo sign sites, qualification and distance of businesses, permit application and processing, and other criteria necessary to implement this program and to provide for variances when necessary to serve the interest of the traveling public or when required to ensure equitable treatment of program participants. However, the department or its agent may erect logo signs only where spacing requirements allow at least one logo sign structure on the main road, one logo sign structure on the ramp, and all necessary traffic control signs for each direction of travel.
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