FAQ About High School Graffiti at the Intersection of Taylor and King Roads
Del Oro high school seniors have long held a tradition drawing graffiti at the intersection of Taylor and King Roads in celebration of graduation. Neither the school, the Town nor local law enforcement sanction the activity.
Historically these congratulatory messages appeared mostly in chalk and were confined to the intersection. More recent years have seen an increased use of spray paint, along with a few inappropriate words and images covering an increasingly large area of the intersection. However, the 2025 graffiti featured excessive foul language and inappropriate drawings which covered the intersection striping, sidewalks, bus shelter, pedestrian push buttons, signal cabinet, reflective roadway markers and delineators, and roadway signs.
This recent incident has created a safety hazard and violation of state and federal regulations. The Town of Loomis will need to spend as much as $15,000 to restore the intersection to code.
How is the graffiti creating a safety hazard?
The students used a variety of very bright colors of spray paint which creates visual distraction for motorists, and the graffiti obscures vital traffic control markings. Observers have noted that many drivers look down as they pass through the intersection rather than keeping their eyes on the road which could lead to a serious accident.
The graffiti is so extensive and covers so much of the traffic markings that it places the Town out of compliance with the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices which reinforces federal requirements for traffic marking visibility and liability protection.
Spray-painting messages in the intersection has been a long tradition so why is the Town so concerned now?
While this type of has occurred in the past, the 2025 incident represents the most extensive vandalism experienced at the site. In 2024, the graffiti also required the Town to respond with repainting crosswalk markings, but the most recent incident covered a much greater area. The escalating extent of vandalism from this tradition creates a traffic safety liability, may contribute to a serious accident, and threatens the Town with increasing repair costs.
What has the Town done so far to clean up the intersection?
Town staff initially responded by using black paint to cover some of the most offensive language and inappropriate content. Staff then used special materials to remove graffiti at the bus shelter, signal cabinet and pedestrian push buttons. Staff also evaluated the traffic markings to see if additional work was necessary to ensure proper visibility.
How much has the Town spent on the graffiti removal?
The initial staff response and removal efforts took 12 hours and almost $900 to address just the most egregious of the graffiti and areas that residents use most, like the (bus shelter and push buttons). To return the intersection to the level required in the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices could cost the Town as much as $15,000.
Why does repainting the traffic markings and restoring the intersection cost up to $15,000?
To restore the intersection, the Town needs to remove the safety issue created by the bright colors of the graffiti and to restripe all of the required lines and markings to meet California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices requirements.
The town considered several options and the most durable surface treatment was chosen. This will return the intersection to its usual appearance, while also protecting it from normal wear and tear.
Public works projects like this cost more than a resident would pay for work at home because the Town must pay prevailing wage and for traffic control at the intersection while the work is performed. Prevailing wages are determined by the California Department of Industrial Relations and are typically higher than non-prevailing wages, as they include additional compensation beyond the hourly wage, including health insurance, retirement plans, and vacation pay. These requirements can easily double or triple costs.
What is the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and why does the Town have to follow it?
The California Department of Transportation maintains the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) to provide uniform standards and specifications for all official traffic control devices in compliance with the Federal Highway Administration regulations. The graffiti put the Town out of compliance in the following areas:
- MUTCD 3A.01 – Functions and Limitations
- Pavement markings convey important information…If markings become obscured, damaged, or non-uniform, they can confuse rather than inform.
- MUTCD 3A.03 – Maintaining Markings
- Pavement markings that must be visible at night shall be retroreflective unless ambient illumination assures that the markings are adequately visible.
- Section 3B.18 – Cross Walk Markings
- Crosswalks shall be marked…and shall be maintained so they are clearly visible to both pedestrians and motorists.
The graffiti covered so much of the traffic markings that it placed the Town out of compliance with each of these sections.
Does this mean this tradition has to stop? What about next year?
The Del Oro High School Principal, Placer County Sheriff’s Office representatives and Town staff met to discuss ways to address vandalism at the intersection in the future. The group discussed several ideas including providing space on-campus for seniors to apply graffiti, possible punitive actions to deter vandalism, or a senior design competition with the school leadership participating in the final designs to be applied at the intersections. Also, the Town is considering installing cameras at the location that would serve as a dual role for vandalism monitoring and to capture traffic counts for engineering.
No decisions were made. The group will meet again along with student representatives after school returns to session in September 2025 to discuss these and other options.