AUSTIN, Texas — The City of Austin said they're frustrated with the amount of graffiti they have been having to clean up in Downtown Austin near 11th and Baylor streets.
Patricia Moreno, an engineer with the City, said the graffiti is illegal and there are hefty repercussions.
“It’s frustrating because I don’t think people really understand what it takes to remove this,” Moreno said. “It’s a $10,000 fine and some jail time.”
She said ever since the HOPE Outdoor Gallery closed its gates, keeping graffiti off the streets is almost impossible.
“We’re seeing the most graffiti in this area because people come to visit the HOPE Gallery and they find out that it's closed and then they graffiti on the street and on the sidewalk and on businesses,” Moreno said.
She said it could be potentially dangerous too.
"We have to cover up. I mean, really, if you think about it, it's kind of a safety hazard too. People are driving in a street with other traffic and they're looking at graffiti, and it can cause an accident," Moreno said.
Moreno said cleaning it is another inconvenience to City workers, who have to work in triple-digit weather to pick up the mess.
“Depending on what surface the graffiti is on, it’s always a different process. So there’s graffiti down the street, it's on a sidewalk, so it's on concrete. Concrete is a different treatment than asphalt," Moreno said. “With concrete, we can just powerwash it without water and high pressure and usually we can remove it. With it on asphalt, it’s a little bit different story because you are going to damage the asphalt surface.”
Moreno said if you want to paint, take it somewhere else, legally, because those responsible for this graffiti are defacing public property.
“There are outlets for your art if you want to do it,” she said.
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One of those outlets is the Neighborhood Partnering Program, which is a City program that assists neighborhood groups in developing, resourcing and executing small to medium-sized improvement projects in the City’s right-of-way or on City-owned property. They have had projects involving crosswalk spray-painting, mural paintings and other art projects. You can find out more about the program here.
Keep Austin Beautiful has volunteer opportunities for community cleanups involving graffiti removal. Additionally, Public Works doesn't have a graffiti crew but partners with Community Court, Health and Human Services and Parks and Recreation for abatement all over the city.
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