Right, a regular complaint of downtowners. Our number one and two problems are the ruinous condition of our streets, and rampant graffiti. How does City Hall address these problems? They send workers out weekly with armed spray cans of fluorescent paint to paint messages on our pavement and sidewalks with yet more graffiti. Yes, those streets that we propagandize our kids not to deface with spray can graffiti. Another case of: "Don't do as I do, do as I say!"

This paint, they claim, wears off quickly but: A) it doesn't, it lasts for months, B) the graffiti gets regularly replaced -- in places, two or three generations of the same message are visible, and C) insult to injury, no road repairs are ever performed on the marked up streets.

These are not graffiti. An explanation of usa markings can be found here: http://www2.apwa.net/documents/about/techsvcs/one-call/final_marking_report.pdf
The reason for markings is rarely road repair. There are numerous reasons for underground work.

Yes, they are graffiti. Dictionary.com: "Graffiti: markings, as initials, slogans, or drawings, written, spray-painted, or sketched on a sidewalk, wall of a building or public restroom, or the like." You may believe that yours are necessary graffiti, and I'm sure that the gang members believe their graffiti is also informative, and necessary." Both are ugly, offensive, and unnecessary.

Normal, responsible people record this type of information by marking up a map, drawing a sketch, or taking a photograph. Only vandals and tom cats feel the need to leave their marks on street corners.

Read my previous link to understand why these marks are necessary.

No further comment required. The official Tom Cat has ruled.

This forum is meant to be used as a way to bring forth issues for the public works department to try and correct. This is not a place for you to troll and call names. Normal, responsible people understand the necessity of correctly using these markings to prevent damage and/or disasters.

Thanks for bringing us back to the issue in question, which is that a "normal, responsible" person (not me) complained about the spraying of red and white "graffiti" (their word, not mine) on a brand new sidewalk. Name calling aside, I leave this between you and the "normal, responsible person who objected to your spraying.

Putting aside the dispute--- if the marks are necessary, when is the work is slated to begin, and is it part of the protocol to remove them afterwards? CCRC appreciates the efforts of our city, citizens and other involved organizations to keep downtown clean and functional. Working together we can accomplish much, and we honor the goodwill of all those who work for our common goals of safety, cleanliness, and beautification.

Hi All, My intent was not to create a space here to troll one another (Alun, you started it, but Rob, there was no need to respond and further the issue), but to bring up the fact that I view these marks in my community to be as un-sightly as grafitti that would be illegal to do. There has to be a better way in this modern day of technology. I totally agree with CRCC and I am happy to write to the council or Public Works to tell them this in another way.

Thanks all.

Yours,
mills

As for a better way, you may need to go beyond Vallejo to make a change. Here is the link to the best practices for underground markings. http://usanorth.org/calaw.pdf

This also has links to some of the laws associated with such.