Sign of things coming to Elk Grove
While the city of Elk Grove has done a decent job of removing graffiti as it occurs, it is a game of whack-a-mole.
Over the last several decades, the Sacramento County community of Elk Grove has grown from a sleepy unincorporated backwater into a thriving city.
Most of the changes have been embraced even by longtime residents who occasionally pine for the days when the city was a redneck enclave (see video below). Who doesn't like closer grocery shopping and better access to health care?
But not all growth is embraced. Nobody is happy with the around-the-clock traffic congestion generated by the huge population increases, limited affordable housing for young people and families', and urban problems like homelessness.
One thing that the rapid growth brought over the last couple of decades is graffiti. While the city of Elk Grove has done a decent job of removing it as it occurs, it is a game of whack-a-mole.
This week however, for the first time in our memory, the graffiti has made its way to large highway signs. The image above shows the Sheldon Road exit on Highway 99 that has been tagged.
Technically, the sign is outside Elk Grove city limits and CalTrans is responsible for maintenance. But along with the Calvine Road exit sign, it is one of the first signs motorist see on southbound Highway 99 as they enter Elk Grove.
So as Elk Grove continues its growth to 200,000 and then 250,000 people in the next few decades, expect to see increased urban challenges and, as you see on highways throughout high-population areas, more highway sign graffiti.
