Environmentalists Trash Madison Rights-Of-Way With Signage

[Update 10:18 AM: Lisa kicks some serious butt on this subject today.]

It started out innocently enough. Roofers, painters, and contractors were allowed to place yard signs in the front lawns while they worked on the home. Signs advertising garage sales were placed in the right of way at intersections. Then realtors were allowed to place temporary signs in the medians of our busiest boulevards so long as they were removed within hours of the open house.

Soon the newspapers were providing signs cautioning motorists to slow down.

Then came the lenders, the dating services, and the earn-at-home jobs plastered on light poles, utility poles, and of course, placed in the median strips illegally.

It is a desperate effort to destroy the beauty of Madison and make it look like any industrial street in Houston.

Now come environmentally friendly organizations like the Wisconsin Bicycle Federation with one of the most massive sign pollution efforts in Dane County history. The safety campaign is meritorious; its method questionable.

I am real curious as to how the city is going to ignore every gas station, oil change shop, dry cleaner, and liquor shop that decides that they have the right to use the public right-of-way to advertise their services.  If we are to succumb to advertising on public property in a city which leads the nation in removing billboards, then let everyone know they can do it with impunity and not worry about ordinance violations. Lisa Subeck has details about what the city regulations say.*

If you want a taste of the future, go witness one of the worst violators, and imagine what it would be like if your neighbor's property looked like the Midvale Heights Apartment building at 501 S. Midvale Boulevard (The signs in the terrace and the banners and 'flags' on the private property are all illegal.). Phooey.  Out of sight, out of mind?  I think not.  In addition to this visual pollution, last night there were over 25 illegal signs in the right-of-way along Midvale Boulevard.

Next will come the Reverend Ralph Ovadal with signs in the medians damning Catholics and 'choice' in the same breath.

*Having heard that Madison has particularly strict laws about signage, I was surprised to see such a garish display and decided to take a look at the ordinances regulating such advertising. I was able to find out that our city refers to such signs as "portable street graphics" and that regulations do exist, but I could not determine whether the area in question complies with these regulations or not.

Comments

Hire, for one year, a full-time employee, whom writes tickets, confiscates signs, flags, banners and anything else - calling a tow truck for a vehicle that has a sign in it, etc...The tickets would pay for the employee. Better make that 2 employees - one for backup. The city would be denuded - hooray!

[jody thompson]

I dunno...
Up here council member's phones would be ringing off the hooks, city hall offices would be clogged with irate citizenry and what is a bigger ass-ache (can I say "ass" here"?) than an outraged business person who feels government is violating their rights to make a buck? "Do something about the meth labs, yada yada"
Not that I have a great idea myself, but given human nature I wonder if the ticketing/confiscation plan (taking their stuff? wow! portable street graphics aren't always so cheap!) might not have a few costs not listed in your description.
So maybe the council turns a bit of a blind eye in order to not aggravate the Chamber of Commerce types with whom they have golf dates on Saturday? :)

[jody thompson]

jeez, this post is ancient - what was I thinking!