Cleaning Up the Median
Springfield Supervisor Herrity presents ideas for making county medians free of campaign placards.
The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a motion aimed at clamping down on the number of campaign signs lining area roadways.
The motion, introduced by Springfield Supervisor Pat Herrity says that:
- The county supports legislation that would remove from the Virginia Code restrictions that apply only to Fairfax County with respect to the removal of political signs from VDOT rights-of-way.
- Direct the County Executive to develop and present to the Board cost- effective options for removal of signs from the right-of-way including leveraging the use existing staff, part-time resources, VDOT and organizations or groups that currently remove signs (such as the Town of Herndon, Reston Association, Fair Lakes League, Burke Center Conservancy and Adopt a Highway groups) and present them for discussion at an upcoming Development Process Committee meeting.
- Direct the County Attorney to draft an agreement between the Board and the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner that would authorize the Board to remove all signs from VDOT rights-of-way for discussion at an upcoming Development Process Committee meeting.
- Investigate and consider a suggestion made by Mason Supervisor Penny Gross to increase the bond posted for signs in the county from $100 to up to $1,000.
"The recently completed election cycle saw 99 candidates run for office in Fairfax County, and with them many thousands of campaign signs joined the bright yellow Junk B Gone and other advertising signs that litter our median strips and roadways," Herrity said in an email to constituents. "It is past time that Fairfax County move to address these illegally placed signs."
Greg Crider
10:24 pm on Thursday, December 8, 2011
Thanks to Pat Herrity, something's being done about these signs. Candidates have 3 days to remove their signs and today makes 30 days after the election. It's a simple rule and common courtesy --- If you put it up, take it down. I still see political signs along the roads. A substantial fine is long overdue.
Amelie Krikorian
7:04 am on Friday, December 9, 2011
It's a disgusting mess -- and because the signs have their names on them, there's no weaseling out of the responsibility. Why aren't campaigns charged with multiple counts of littering if they fail to clean up after 3 days? There are signs on Rt 50 that have blown into the road because of the storm the other day and now pose a hazard to traffic. If I get a flat because of one of those signs, I know exactly who is paying for my tire repair!
DAVE
9:33 am on Friday, December 9, 2011
I'm pretty sure you are.
Karen
7:39 am on Friday, December 9, 2011
Thank you Pat Herrity! I agree with the idea of multiple counts of littering as well as the bond increase to $1,000.00. The volunteers who posted the signs ought to be made to return and take them down.
Kevin Ganley
8:51 am on Friday, December 9, 2011
How about removing Real Estate signs st intersections that block your sight lines when turning. Or any other sign.
Jeffrey Pandin
9:04 am on Friday, December 9, 2011
While we're at it, how about a law against throwing newspapers/flyers/phone books/catalogs etc in my yard that I did not ask for, did not pay for and do not want. I usually find them on rainy days when they are a soggy mess that I have to clean up. If they can outlaw spam emails and unsolicited telemarketing phone calls, they ought to be able to outlaw this kind of litter. If it isn't worth paying postage to mail, don't waste my time with it!!!
DAVE
9:33 am on Friday, December 9, 2011
Is this really what you want VDOT and police doing in these fiscally desperate times. The sign police?
kuku@ukuk.net
2:17 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011
"Is this really what you want VDOT and police doing in these fiscally desperate times. The sign police?"
Yes, unless candidates begin to obey the law, that is really what most taxpayers want VDOT to do, and it is in fact excatly what VDOT is supposed to do under the laws as they stand. BTW, No one mentioned anything about the police. If you're worried about this breaking the bank, spare VDOT some OT, and under the color of the Adopt-a-Highway program, help out with litter (including signs . . .) removal, as is seems that you have an inordinate amount of time to spend posting here.
D. Feller
3:12 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011
I've noticed even today (Dec 9th) that the last political sign I've spotted in Route 7s' median is asking readers to re-elect the sheriff who, of course, won the election. I quip that "certainly he isn't going to fine himself." Otherwise I agree that ALL signs should be kept from anywhere drivers' sight lines are impaired, and wherever the law says they should be banned from being there. I appreciate that Virginia's anti billboard laws make the highways and "Virginia Byways" much more scenic.
Mollie
10:00 pm on Friday, December 9, 2011
Sadly, they may want to take it a step further and deal with the MAJOR litter problem here in the Mason District.