Business Name:	Billboards
Location:	Located throughout GA 400 corridor
Lighting Grade:	F
Guideline Status:	Built before guidelines were in place
Footcandles 0ft	To be evaluated
Footcandles 30ft	To be evaluated

Billboards are one of the most significant contributors to light pollution.  Billboard companies put the lights on the signs so that the light is shining directly upwards which causes significant sky glow.  It is estimated that only about 30-40% of the light actually strikes the face of the sign and the rest goes up into the sky.  The Sign Ordinance for Dawson County needs to be modified to require billboard companies to put the lights on the top of the sign and point them down. Another solution would be to require billboard companies to turn off the lights after a certain time, such as 1AM.

This photograph shows the location of the light fixtures used by billboard companies, in this case, ClearChannel.  Since the lights are pointed directly into the sky, the result is urban skyglow and light tresspass.

This is what a typical billboard looks like at night.  All of the lights are shining directly into the sky causing significant light pollution.  This method of sign illumination should be made illegal.. 

This is a close-up of fixtures used by billboard companies.  Bottom line is that lights should only be pointing downwards.