City of Savannah Takes New Action to Prevent Graffiti

In an intensive measure to fight against persistent graffiti, officials in the City of Savannah have embarked on a new venture that includes the installation of paint-resistant wraps on traffic boxes across the city. The initiative, which is not only a preventive measure but also a beautification project, seeks to highlight the area’s historical significance through the beautification of public utilities.

Mitigating Graffiti While Beautifying Public Infrastructure

According to the city’s transportation director, Stephen Henry, graffiti has presented significant challenges regarding the maintenance of Savannah’s traffic boxes. “Graffiti, stickers, and other tags are a cost and maintenance headache. We have to clean off graffiti from our utilities over twenty times every year and this takes away resources from other critical areas”, revealed Henry.

In response to this ongoing challenge, the city has begun to install new wraps aimed specifically at protecting these often-vandalized traffic boxes. These installations will not only mitigate the graffiti problem but also enhance the city’s aesthetic appeal by showcasing Savannah’s rich history.

New Wraps – A Solution to Graffiti Vandalism

The novel wraps are engineered to be resistant to paint, which will significantly ease the process of graffiti removal, thus potentially deterring would-be vandals. Using a simple mixture of low percentage alcohol and water, city workers can effectively wipe away any graffiti from the wraps. Consequently, this would mean a significant reduction in resources and efforts needed for maintenance.

Celebrating Savannah’s History

The city is optimistic that this new approach does not merely combat vandalism; it also takes this opportunity to showcase Savannah’s vibrant history. Digital prints from the city’s municipal archives have been wrapped around these traffic boxes, showing images of significant buildings near each box’s location. Luciana Spracher, Director of the Municipal Archive, expressed that “Tying in history helps to bring a sense of community pride.”

Investing in the Future

The ambitious project will see nearly two-dozen wraps being installed around the city with an additional 20 projected to be installed next year. Each wrap is estimated to cost between $800 and $1,200. However, despite the upfront cost, city officials believe that the investment will pay off in the long-term as early installs have shown promising results.

No More Graffiti?

Transportation director, Henry, expressed his optimism about the initiative’s success. He noted the encouraging feedback received so far – the beautiful images appear to deter tagging, stickers, or littering. The city believes that this innovative approach will not only curb the problem of graffiti but also instigate civic pride and respect for public infrastructure among residents and visitors.