Yahoo News reports that the Albuquerque City Council voted 8-1 Monday to phase out advertising bus wraps from the city fleets. In June 2025, when the city’s current bus wrapping contract expires, all wraps will be removed from the fleet.

There were two primary reasons reported for the decision to end bus wraps. The first, was increasing the feeling of security for people looking to board city buses. The bill text cited an increased “sense of vulnerability to crime from passengers inside the bus” when windows are covered by advertising, as prospective passengers are unable to make out what’s happening inside the vehicle. The second is making a more unified, distinctive look for the city’s public transportation — especially for tourists, who might feel more comfortable seeing a familiar bus rolling their way.

The bus wrap contractor, Lamar Advertising, covers all the costs for finding advertisers and installing and removing bus wraps. It additionally pays the city approximately $250,000 per year to advertise.

Lamar Advertising is in the fifth year of its six-year contract with the city. The contract is set to expire in June 2025.

Over the next three years, the city will lose out on $1.2 million in advertising from the wraps, as buses that are phased out are replaced sans wrap.

Lamar also provides ads on bus shelters around the city, and a meeting is planned between the city and Lamar to discuss potentially modifying or terminating the contract.

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