A giant, light-up sign on the Yellowhead at 149th Street is so bright, Colin Livingston calls it a "blazing sun of a billboard."

"This particular billboard is just so unbelievably bright, it's absolutely a distraction," he said.

Livingston commutes heading eastbound along the Yellowhead in the dark every morning.

Last week he became so annoyed with the sign, he snapped pictures and sent them to the City of Edmonton.

When he didn't get a response, he tweeted the pictures on Jan. 22, saying "The blazing sun of a billboard is still active on 149 st. and Yellowhead ... how is this allowed?"

The pictures show a dark landscape with a low-lying building and a large bright square in the middle.

Hi <a href="https://twitter.com/CityofEdmonton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CityofEdmonton</a> it’s me again-your pal CL. Must have missed my earlier note as I didn’t get a response and the blazing sun of a billboard is still active on 149st and Yellowhead. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yegcc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yegcc</a> once removed floral billboards because they were “too distracting”. How is this allowed? <a href="https://t.co/wF8i7kx95P">pic.twitter.com/wF8i7kx95P</a> —@CL_87 "There's probably another half a dozen billboards, either on 149 or on Yellowhead that I pass on my way home and I don't really notice them," Livingston said on CBC's Edmonton AM radio show Wednesday.

"They tend to blend in and they tend to be more obscure than this particular one."

Livingston was able to speak with someone at the city about his concerns this week.

Regulations out of date

The city regulates signs, including digital billboards, under zoning bylaws.

Digital signs are allowed a maximum brightness of 400 nits, which is equivalent to a 100 watt light bulb. However, that measurement is only taken from a specific spot on a sign, meaning the overall effect can be much brighter than 100 watts.

Some critics say 150 to 200 nits is more appropriate.

The city admits its regulations are out of date. The latest changes were made in 2011.

Current city policy relies on digital implants to help regulate light output on signs.

"There is the requirement to have some sort of ambient light sensors to adjust the brightness of these signs," said Harry Luke, a senior planner with the city's development and zoning services.

"We like to handle these kinds of complaints directly with the sign manufacturer or the property owner, and a lot of times we can resolve them by just literally telling them to reduce the brightness of the sign."

The city could not immediately say how many complaints it has received about bright signs.

A sign review is currently underway. The city has no deadline for a finalized list of regulations, but it hopes to have draft amendments ready by the spring.