Some drivers want faster graffiti clean-up

Raleigh, N.C. — Graffiti is often seen as a sign of a declining community and costs government agencies money to clean up.

Drivers with whom WRAL News spoke Tuesday said they have seen more graffiti in recent weeks, especially along Raleigh overpasses and interstates. Some want something done to clean it up more quickly.

“I thought it was extremely disrespectful to the whole community,” driver Beth Muro said of the graffiti.

Muro said she has seen graffiti along Interstate 440 near Lake Boone Trail, and she is not the only person who views it as an eyesore.

“I think graffiti anywhere sends a bad message that perhaps there is some level of neglect or concern,” City Manager Russell Allen said.

Allen said the city has two graffiti removal teams, but for displays on or around interstates, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is responsible for clean-up.

“We just want them (DOT) to be expeditious in getting it off,” Allen said.

DOT spokesman Steve Abbott said the department is looking into options for removing the graffiti, but cleaning it up takes money out of the maintenance budget. Abbott said graffiti removal is a priority but not as high as fixing potholes.

Driver Tyler Northrup agreed that that graffiti should take a backseat to other roadway concerns.

“Potholes are much more annoying that graffiti in my opinion, assuming the graffiti is not vulgar,” he said.

Muro said maybe residents need to organize clean-up efforts to help the DOT out.

“Maybe it's something more that the community needs to stand up and do something about,” she said.

Allen said some of the graffiti is likely from gang members. If you spot graffiti, call Raleigh police or the DOT.

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To me a bigger problem than graffiti is the litter. I routinely travel along I95 through to NY along with millions of others and never see the amount of litter I see around 440 and 1 South. It is really a sign of apathy that should not be tolerated in such a beautiful place.

douglascarey
June 10, 2010 6:17 p.m.

Hmmm, The actual story seems to be the lack of co-operation between the tax funded departments responsible for a cleanup of this nature. The graffiti murals are only highlighting that issue.

In the story RPD is credited with saying some of the graffiti comes from gangs, and the rest of the graffiti not from gangs. The statement was vague enough to leave uninformed Raleigh citizens with the impression that gangs are responsible for the graffiti. After all, gangs were the only segment of the Raleigh population that was given credit for the graffiti. Gangs use graffiti. Gang related graffiti is explicit in the gang affiliation that it is attempting to promote. The graffiti along the highway is 99.9% most likely not gang related. I say most likely because the people behind the graffiti could be in a gang, but taking the time to put up graffiti and not putting the gang they’re affiliated with is akin to Michael Jordan not putting the Jumpman logo anywhere on a pair of Jordans.

judeography
June 10, 2010 5:04 p.m.

Rumor has it that they're not cleaning this up right. Nice work DOT, half-ace the job.

dougdeep
June 10, 2010 1:12 p.m.

Its not passing the buck. The city does not recieve money to take care of those roads so why would they? Would you constantly mow your neighbors yard?