Calgary Alberta - Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) would like to get more bang for its buck when it comes to advertising on its bridges in downtown Calgary.
 
Most of its bridges, which carry trains over city streets leading into and out of the core, have banner signs on them facing traffic.
 
On six bridges, the company wants to replace those signs with digital advertising signs.
 
Digital billboards are widespread in Calgary.
 
The companies that control those signs change messages six times every minute so they can serve more advertisers.
 
City Taking Feedback on Plan
 
The city is currently reviewing an application from Van Horne Outdoor, a company that was created by CP in 2015 to develop new advertising revenues along CP's right-of-way.
 
It's taking public feedback on the plan through its website until 29 Jul 2018.
 
Given the proximity of the potential rail bridge signs to traffic and nearby residents, the plan is raising concerns.
 
Coun. Evan Woolley, who represents part of the downtown, said the application presents a number of issues.
 
"I think Van Horne has their work cut out for them," said Woolley.
 
"There have been significant concerns from our traffic division as well as from adjacent neighbours on what exactly the impact of what big, bright, signs would be, both in terms of residents living there, as well as commuters driving through."
 
Community Group Not Happy
 
An area community group also has concerns about the proposal.
 
The head of the Beltline Neighbourhoods Association, Peter Oliver, said it has been trying to reduce the number of billboard ads in the fast-changing area.
 
He said that more and more people are moving into the Beltline and the scale of these digital signs will be negative for residents who live along 10th Avenue.
 
"You could be looking out your apartment or condo window, staring at these LED billboards now changing constantly," said Oliver.
 
He adds approving these signs would run counter to the city's strategy of trying to improve the downtown underpasses, to make them more pedestrian-friendly.
 
"The Beltline is more and more of a residential neighbourhood now and this is not the kind of thing you would put up in any residential neighbourhood," he said.
 
Van Horne is proposing the digital signs for several of CP's downtown overpasses.
 
CP did not respond to a request for comment on the application.
 
The matter has yet to go before the Calgary Planning Commission and city council will get the final word.
 
Scott Dippel.